Emerging Entrepreneur Award — Goodfellas Bagel Deli: Adrian Joseph’s Business Gets A-Round in just a Few Short Years

If Adrian Joseph’s life was a movie, perhaps one even directed by Martin Scorsese, the first line might very well be: “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a baker.” 

On second thought, Scorsese might be too intense of a choice. For the founder and CEO of Goodfellas Bagel Deli, a better selection might be an esteemed comedy director — Mel Brooks, Greta Gerwig, Judd Apatow. After all, Joseph relied on his comedic chops to quickly establish a positive reputation for his business. 

Initially opening in Lansing in 2019, Goodfellas Bagel Deli used short video skits to gain a social media following by an audience that embraced the business’s owner and team having fun at work. 

The gambit paid off. Goodfellas has a contract with Meijer at the Capital City Market and a second location in East Lansing — not to mention a team of professional basketball players representing Team Goodfellas at the Moneyball Pro-Am, wearing jerseys with the signature Goodfellas logo on the front. 

It just shows that the combination of good food and good fun is a recipe for success. 

No wonder Joseph and Goodfellas earned the Emerging Entrepreneur Award in the 2023 Greater Lansing Entrepreneurial Awards. 

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