The bagel stand, a favorite spot on campus, is a highlight of Groton. Whether looking to grab a dough-lightful breakfast after a rushed morning, a midday snack, or a warm mug of hot chocolate, students flock to the bagel stand whenever they get a chance. After the departure of our last beloved bagel-lady Adri, we are ecstatic to welcome Gwen Lapin to the bagel stand!
In an attempt to find out more about Miss Gwen’s life, we sat down with her on a Tuesday afternoon for an interview. “I’ve been working in the food industry ever since I was 14,” she shared, which she says is what spurred her coming to Groton in 2016. Since then, she has worked in and out of the Dining Hall, but left briefly in 2021 during the pandemic. After receiving an offer this past summer to return as the new bagel-lady, she gladly came back to the Circle.
From an outsider perspective, running the bagel stand seems like a pretty simple, straightforward task. However, Miss Gwen shared the behind-the-scenes of what it’s actually like supporting the school’s collective bagel addiction. Miss Gwen starts each day at seven in the morning, picking up food for the Health Center from the Dining Hall before heading to the Schoolhouse to start the day. From there, it’s much like running a real store: setting up the machines, prepping and putting out all the bagels, taking inventory of all her supplies, and constantly communicating with Groton’s bagel suppliers, Perfecto’s Caffe.
Even though she runs the bagel stand, Miss Gwen isn’t that much of a bagel fan herself. She reported just recently trying the French toast bagel with butter, an absolute favorite of students and faculty on campus. Although they aren’t her favorite food, she did agree that the French toast bagels are worthy of the attention they receive. “They always are the first to run out,” she said. Miss Gwen says she would also love to experiment with introducing new things to the stand, such as blueberry or even unicorn bagels.
Outside the bagel stand, Miss Gwen loves to spend time with her family and is a big animal lover. After returning to working at Groton, she now lives a mere five minutes away from campus with her husband, who is a firefighter. Miss Gwen also has two sons—one of which works in the Groton Dining Hall! Another special part of her family are her pets; she is a proud mother of four cats: a fluffy tuxedo cat and three of her children. As she proudly displayed an array of adorable photos during the interview, she mentioned how much she loves spending time with them when she can. Some other hobbies Miss Gwen has are crafting, reading books, and decorating her home.
As she settles back into Groton, Miss Gwen says that she plans to stay here for a while—at least until her youngest son has gone off to college. She expressed her uncertainty for plans after Groton, as she isn’t really sure what she would like to do. But in the meantime, Miss Gwen has shown her enthusiasm for running the bagel stand and the opportunity it brings for meeting new people on campus.
Even when days are rushed, taking a trip to Miss Gwen’s stand for a simple bagel can make anyone’s day a little brighter, and the tedious Groton workload more bearable. We are all thankful that we have her to make our day more hole-some. The next time you stop by the bagel stand, make sure to say hello to the wonderful Miss Gwen, who is the reason why we can stop by for a delicious bagel anytime during the school day.
As Miss Gwen’s favorite quote, which is written on the blackboard at the stand, says, “Give everyday the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”
P.S. Sorry if the bagel puns are too cream-cheesy.
