There’s something unmistakable about the way a bagel smells when it’s been boiled, baked, and handled with generations of experience.
It’s a smell that doesn’t just make you hungry — it makes you feel like you’re home.
In Ranson, West Virginia, that scent drifts from Bagel Chicks Bakery, the latest chapter in a nearly 100-year family story that began with one man, a dream, and a ship sailing into New York Harbor.
In 1932, Sam Costantino arrived in the United States from Sicily. Like so many immigrants of the time, he came in search of something better — more stable work, more opportunity, more hope. What he brought with him wasn’t flashy or fashionable. It was a love of flour and water. A commitment to honest ingredients. And a work ethic carved from stone. He built a bakery from the ground up, laying a foundation that would support not just his family’s future, but also the futures of neighborhoods, customers, and generations to come.
That same foundation has carried through to Bagel Chicks, now run by his great-granddaughter Jackie Costantino and her business partner Katheryn Acker — two women who’ve blended heritage, hustle, and heart into one of Ranson’s most beloved breakfast spots.
From New York to Maryland to the heart of Jefferson County, this is the story of how a humble bakery became a regional favorite — and how it’s still rising, one bagel at a time.
The Bagel Chicks Bakery story begins with family
After Sam laid the groundwork in New York, his daughter Constance took over. A second-generation baker, she kept her father’s techniques alive and his standards high. Then came John — Constance’s son — who ran the bakery for a decade before relocating with his wife Debra and their daughters Julie and Jackie to Germantown, Maryland.
In 1991, they reopened the family bakery under a new name: Royal Bagel Bakery. It didn’t take long for the shop to become a Germantown staple. For two decades, the family served New York-style bagels to their Maryland neighbors, raising their daughters behind the counter and in the flour-dusted kitchens of the bakery. Jackie grew up in it — not just learning the business, but living it.
That’s why, when John and Debra began thinking about a quieter life in 2010, Jackie wasn’t ready to leave the oven behind. The family eventually settled in Charles Town, West Virginia, drawn by the charm and pace of Jefferson County. That same year, Royalicious Bagel Bakery opened its doors near the Walmart shopping center. The customers came quickly — locals, yes, but also commuters and transplants from Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Virginia — all hungry for something familiar, fresh, and handmade.
The torch passes again
John passed away in 2021. Debra in 2015. But the bakery never closed, never slowed. Jackie had learned from the best, and she was ready. She carried the torch with purpose, determined to keep the family legacy alive — not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing part of the community. She wasn’t just running the place. She was evolving it.
Enter Katheryn Acker, known to most simply as Kat. What started as a job application turned into something deeper — a connection that ran decades back. As a child, Kat had been a regular at the Germantown bakery, unknowingly shaped by the very environment Jackie grew up in. Years later, she walked into Royalicious, recognized the space, and found out the people behind the counter were the same ones she’d adored as a kid.
What followed was an unexpected bond. Jackie became a mentor, a friend, and eventually a business partner. In 2025, the two decided it was time to honor the past while stepping fully into the future. They rebranded the bakery as Bagel Chicks Bakery, ushering in a new era rooted in heritage, but built for today’s Ranson.
New name. Same soul.
Bagel Chicks is more than a clever brand. It’s a statement of identity. It honors the Costantino legacy while reflecting a new vision — one that’s accessible, modern, and uniquely local. The bakery’s aesthetic has evolved with Jefferson County’s changing population, blending a contemporary look with the familiar smell of rising dough and roasting garlic.
You’ll still find all the classics: the hand-rolled bagels, the family cream cheese recipes, the scratch-made pastries. But now, they’re paired with an atmosphere that speaks to a new generation of customers — young families, remote workers, creatives, foodies, and longtime locals who appreciate both the quality and the care.
Jackie and Kat have created a space that’s warm, clean, and inviting — a place where vinyl records might play behind the counter, and breakfast sandwiches are made to order by people who actually know your name.
Where history meets hustle
Behind the counter, the team works with a rhythm that’s been practiced for decades. Boil. Bake. Schmear. Repeat. But that’s only part of the story. The real magic is in how Jackie and Kat have made their legacy feel alive — something evolving, not frozen in time.
Bagel Chicks isn’t nostalgic for the past. It’s using it as fuel.
Their bagels are served in a space that feels right at home in today’s Jefferson County — a county that’s growing fast, attracting new faces, and building a new kind of middle class. The bakery reflects that shift. It offers something familiar to the longtime residents, and something fresh to the newcomers.
The future’s looking crispy
Even with all their growth, Jackie and Kat haven’t lost sight of what matters. They still hand-roll every bagel. They still use the original family recipes. They still greet customers like neighbors — because most of them are.
Their reputation continues to grow, not just locally but regionally and even nationally. The bakery has appeared in food blogs and “Best Of” lists. It’s been featured in roundups that celebrate authentic eats and small-town gems. And perhaps most impressively, Bagel Chicks has maintained a spotless health record for more than 14 years.
But ask Jackie and Kat what makes them proudest, and you won’t hear about awards. You’ll hear about the regular who drives 40 minutes every Saturday for a dozen sesame. The teacher who brings in her class to see how bagels are made. The families who’ve watched their kids grow up at the corner table near the window.
Because for all the history behind Bagel Chicks, its greatest legacy might be the one it’s still writing.
Ready to taste the legacy? Order your favorite from Bagel Chicks Bakery today and start your morning the way Ranson locals have for generations.
