Bite-Sized Dessert Shop Opens in Bethesda Bagels

Across the street from the slew of people waiting for a $2.75 Geri Hulsey serves three bite-sized desserts to customers in Bethesda Bagels for the same price. Using recipes from her catering company, Biteables, Hulsey opened the business’ first branch inside the bagelry June 29.  

“We’re getting fabulous feedback,” she said. “People love the concept of little bites. We’re getting some repeat business already.” 

During a Biteables-catered event just a few weeks ago, Bethesda Bagels approached Hulsey about serving the little desserts in their store. Once she agreed to partner with Bagels, Hulsey, with the help of her family, has baked the goods sold in Bethesda using the store’s wholesale location in Gaithersburg.

“We’re hoping to add people in the shop and production end,” Hulsey said. “We’re hoping to grow and expand.”

Biteables sells two sizes of their miniature desserts, itty-bitty bites and bigger bites, which are treats like individually cupped brownies and tiny celebration cakes. The company only uses high quality ingredients, like Belgian chocolate, to ensure a superior product, Hulsey said.

For now, Hulsey doesn’t plan to open her own store, but, when Bethesda Bagels opens another location in Dupont Circle this September, Biteables will be there too. 

“Wherever Bethesda Bagels goes we’ll go with them,” Hulsey said. “We’ll see what happens down the road.” 

To advertise Biteables, Hulsey is in the process of building a website which she plans to also use as a way for customers to order desserts online. Even though Bethesda Bagels houses the desserts, company president Stephen Fleishman said it's entirely Hulsey's responsibility to build her business.

"It's one thing to make a product at your leisure because your friends love it and you like to do it," he said. "It's an entirely different animal when you have to produce product seven days per week. While it all seems fun and exciting to create something from nothing, it can also wear you down and burn you out."

After just a week of business, it's too early to tell how good Biteables business will be, Fleishman said.