By Jon Show — Hunter’s Bagels opens today in Cornelius from a brother-in-law duo familiar with a common refrain from Northeastern transplants now living in the Lake Norman area.

“They don’t know how to make bagels down here.”

Well, Hunter’s Bagels are made from co-owner Brandon Kurz’s 60-year-old family recipe that traces its roots to a Brooklyn kitchen.

Co-owner Andrew Roth was raised by parents who operated a bagel shop for nearly two decades, and the duo invested six figures in bagel-making equipment, including an Empire oven about the size of a stand-up shower designed to produce a chewy bagel with a crispy shell.

“Everyone microwaves the eggs for the breakfast sandwiches.”

Nope. There is no microwave on the premises, and everything is made from scratch.

“Yous don’t have the right worter down here.”

Not much anyone can do about that.

The South Florida transplants with New York roots relocated to North Carolina this year after Kurz sold his custom golf cart dealership and set their sights on starting a small family business in the Lake Norman area.

After a few months of tossing around ideas such as a bar and grill or a deli, they settled on a bagel shop.

“I went to a lot of the bagel places,” Kurz said. “I looked at Andrew and said, ‘They don’t have a good bagel here.’ We said, ‘Let’s open a bagel store.'”

Hunter’s Bagels is located in the former Coffee Republic & Bakery space on West Catawba Avenue near Goodwill. The entire space has been fully renovated, and Kurz’s mother handled the interior design, helping create the warm, lodge-inspired atmosphere that sets the shop apart from a traditional bagel store or deli.

The menu features breakfast and lunch sandwiches, wraps and salads, but the focus is on producing fresh bagels in a kitchen designed to deliver a consistent product at any time of day.

“We invested the money into making sure that the bagel, no matter if you come in once a month or every single day or a year from now because you’re on vacation, you’re getting the same product,” Kurz said.

The store is named for Kurz’s one-year-old son, Hunter. Deer antlers in the logo and menu items with names such as the Hunter, Buck and Doe follow the outdoor design aesthetic.

Kurz believes in the product enough to put his son’s name on the sign out front.

“If I’m putting our names on something, it needs to be honest,” Kurz said.

A focus on a quality finished product, elevated customer service — and even the lack of laptop power outlets — is intended to recreate the feel of an old-school deli and bakery, with the owners slathering schmears alongside their employees.

“I know customer service, and I know how to make people feel welcome,” said Roth, who has spent his entire career in the hospitality business. “You have to make every guest happy. Even if it costs me an extra cup of coffee or an extra bagel, you’re going to go home happy.”

The owners were putting finishing touches on the shop in late July, with a grand opening expected later this month.

As for the quality of the bagel? Kurz and Roth recently hosted a reunion with family members from New York to sample their product.

“I told them, ‘Tell me your honest opinion. If you think it sucks, just say so,'” said Kurz.

“They said, ‘If we close our eyes, we are back in New York City.'”