Naman Shrestha
In the 7th episode of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 18, a bunch of budding entrepreneurs and creators presented their respective businesses in front of the Sharks, hoping for an investment that could take their brand to the next level. Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof Rhodes introduced Moonrise Bagels, a company that deals with stuffed bagels crafted with love and care. They shared how they started the business together and told the Sharks about their plans for the future.
Moonrise Bagels: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Before finding each other and falling in love in New York City, co-founders of Moonrise Bagels — Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof Rhodes — went through their respective professional journeys. Jeremy, the Villanova University graduate, worked as a Shift Manager at Ben & Jerry’s from 2007 to 2013. He also interned at a couple of companies between 2013 and 2014, such as Hearst Magazines and Patina Restaurant Group. From September 2014 to January 2022, Jeremy was employed at Union Square Hospitality Group, where he started as a staff accountant, rose through the ranks, and became the Director of Accounting. Meanwhile, Ali Chetkof graduated from Onteora High School before majoring in History and Journalism at Emory University.
Like Jeremy, she began her career as an intern at Zoe Media Group in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and at Vogue in the New York metropolitan area. She also interned as a sales associate at Michael Kors, as an Accessory Merchandising Intern at Diane von Furstenberg, and as a Merchandising Intern at Oscar de la Renta. In July 2014, Ali landed a job at Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection, where she started as a Merchandising Assistant before being promoted to Merchandising Associate. After a year, she switched to Edie Parker to work as PR and Events Coordinator. Later, she became the Communications and Events Manager. Nearly three years later, Ali bagged a job at KCD as a Senior Digital Publicist.
Between 2019 and 2021, she was employed at Tanya Taylor, where she worked in multiple roles, including PR Manager, Manager of Brand Communications & Talent Relations, and Senior Manager of Brand Communications & Talent Relations. At Jennifer Bett Communications, she served as a Senior Director of Fashion and then Associate Vice President. In May 2021, Jeremy and Ali co-founded Moonrise Bagels in Woodstock, New York. While the former is the brains behind the brand, Ali uses her ability to connect with the community to bring Moonrise Bagels to the world. The origin story of the company began on New Year’s Eve 2020, when the couple made homemade pizza for dinner and prepared homemade bagels for the following day. That’s how they got the idea of putting pizza inside a bagel and Moonrise Bagels was created.
Moonrise Bagels: Where Are They Now?
Moonrise Bagels was a dream that was realized after 5 years of hard work, patience, and persistence. From stuffing their first bagel on January 1, 2021, to introducing their baby on national television in the presence of the bigwigs of the industry, a lot has changed for the pair and their beloved venture since then, definitely the shape of their og bagel. 2026 brought in further success for the team. Moonrise Bagels is now serving the public at four different locations. In January, even Drew Barrymore helped herself to a pastrami bagel on ‘Drew’s News’ and went: “Oh my gosh!” The team even asked the fans of their stuffed bagels to throw in their suggestions for a stuffing, and after scouring through multiple submissions, they ultimately announced Smokestack (smoked brisket, grilled onion, barbecue sauce) by the handle cbjgrimes as the winner.
Exclusive flavors like Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bagel and Chicken Parm Stuffed Bagel were dropped in February specifically on DoorDash for Dash Pass members. The month of April marked a significant moment in the history of Moonrise Bagels as they closed down their Kingston space for good, citing feasibility issues in the tiny space. In addition, it was also announced that from May, all Moonrise locations will have a consistent menu comprising only 100% stuffed bagels, an espresso bar, customizable seeds, and exciting new drops. The company bagged a spot in The Wall Street Journal’s story ‘A Hole New World of Bagels,’ followed by a limited-time drop of Chili Crisp-flavored bagels at multiple bagel spots across the country, including LA, Minneapolis, and Portland.
Over the months, the team dropped several flavors such as Mediterranean-themed Take Me to Greece Stuffed Bagel; Chicken Tikka Stuffed Bagel in collaboration with the iconic Dhamaka in NYC; Rainbow Cake Stuffed Bagel during Pride Month; Extra saucy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Bagel; and more. They even collaborated with Cierra Miller to drop her matcha flavor, Salted Honey Ginger Cream. In early November 2026, on Election Day, they offered everyone who voted a free house-made Chocolate Chip & Sea Salt Cookie in their store. They ship their stuffed bagels nationwide through Goldbelly, with a 6-pack Bacon, Egg & Cheese Stuffed Bagels for $89.95, 12-pack Stuffed Bagel Sampler for $129.95, 6-pack Vegan Sausage, Egg & Cheese Stuffed Bagels for $95.95, and 6-pack Stuffed Bagels Best Seller for $95.95. Through their official website, Moonrise Bagels also provide pickup and delivery services and also take catering and large orders.
Read More: DIME Shark Tank Update: Umami Flavors for All Recipes
