Mama always said breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and if you start your day off with a breakfast from Big Apple Bagels, you will certainly not argue with Mom’s wisdom. Inside this quaint little shop on the corner of JFK and Pennsylvania, the sweet smells of freshly baked dough and coffee permeate the walls. Yes, the breakfast is delicious, but what really makes this a true success is the smile behind the service.
Kevin Stackis, the founder of Big Apple Bagel in Dubuque, believed there was a market for a bagel shop in Dubuque, and although other bagel businesses did not agree, Big Apple Bagel Corporate in Chicago shared this vision. He ran the business for around five years before Judy Faulhaber, who had been the store’s manager for three years, decided to purchase the business with her husband Jeff. Judy said Jeff never even batted an eye at making this commitment, even at the age of the thirty, because he believed in her and the two of them together. As of March 1, 2025, Jeff’s confidence was validated when the Faulhaber’s celebrated twenty-five years of owning and operating Big Apple Bagels.
With the help of Jeff’s parents and banker Tim German from American Trust and Savings Bank, they had the support they needed to purchase their own business, a dream Judy always hoped would be a reality. Now, with the support from her three children, Judy is still making bagels and more happen every day for breakfast and lunch goers alike. Sadly, Jeff was not able to mark the celebration of twenty-five years with his family due to a battle with Bile Duct Cancer that took his life on September 30, 2021. Although so many at Big Apple Bagels and in the community miss Jeff, they work to keep his memory alive every day. Judy truly believes that she would not be where she is today if it were not for her husband and his belief in her.
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