Rolleyholers
When Bob Weygant moved up to the Granite State from New Jersey in the mid-2000s, he missed his favorite bagel shops. A home baker since his mother taught him at the age of 6, he learned to make New Jersey-style bagels and started selling them as a hobby in 2016. He moved to a commercial kitchen a few years later, and by late December 2020 Weygant had quit his day job with the goal of opening his own brick-and-mortar spot. Rolleyholers (92 Portsmouth Ave., No. 2, Exeter, 580-4460, rolleyholers.com), which Weygant runs with his wife, Heather, churns out thousands of bagels every day: classics like sesame, cinnamon raisin and everything, but also asiago, blueberry and jalapeno cheddar. For spreads, Rolleyholers has dabbled in everything from plain, chive and veggie to pizza, sun-dried tomato and basil, and even a Dutch apple pie cream cheese. The shop partners with New Hampshire Coffee Roasting Co. of Dover, and is working on introducing a full line of breads. Weygant also makes his own crumb cake. The Scene recently caught up with him to talk about his must-try recommendations.
How long has Rolleyholers been around?
[We opened on] June 23.
What makes Rolleyholers unique?
Our bagels are boiled and baked in house. All of our foods are clean labeled, so we don’t use any preservatives. We actually suggest that people buy smaller quantities and come back more frequently, so you get that freshness. … The other thing that makes us unique is that we allow people into the back of the shop so they can watch bagels being made. We’ve got a bagel-former back there that’s a lot of fun to watch. It pumps out bagels one every second, so that’s 3,600 bagels an hour, max.
What is your personal favorite thing on your menu?
I came up with an onion rye bagel the other day, and I tasted it hot and fresh right out of the oven, with just a little bit of butter. That might just be my new favorite bagel.
What is something that everyone should try?
They should try their bagel of choice with one of the signature spreads that speaks to them. We’re constantly rotating out new spreads, [but] our goal is to actually be able to spread just about anything you want on the fly. As people come up with new ideas, we throw them out there, so don’t be afraid to ask for something.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at Rolleyholers?
Al Barr. He’s the lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys. … I would also welcome any one of the [Boston] Bruins. We’ve met most of them. We actually got married at a Bruins game and we have a pair of jerseys that say ‘Bride’ and ‘Groom’ on them that are signed by the entire team.
What is an essential skill to running this type of business?
Dedication, and the unwillingness to give up, because there will be bad days. … Our approach to business is happiness first and money second. We’re not looking to make a ton of money on people. We’re looking to make people happy by feeding them well.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
The proximity to the ocean is one thing that’s fantastic. … More so than just the Seacoast, the town of Exeter is great. Four days before we were supposed to open, I had an accident where I broke my jaw in three places and lost 14 teeth. The town population rallied around me like I’ve never seen before and never expected. They embraced us with open arms and left well wishes on our window.
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo Credit: Rolleyholers.
