51Ʒ��

YANKTON, S.D., Jan. 30 — Nearly four months after its grand reopening, Yankton’s very own Bagel Dons is the epitome of local charm that makes Yankton beloved by all. Situated along the bank of the Missouri River, the calm atmosphere and rustic décor welcome all customers to enjoy a delicious, handmade bagel.

Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday through Sunday at 8am-5pm Bagel Dons offers fresh, hand-rolled bagels ready for all customers. Made daily, the bagels pair with cream cheese made in-house for a delicious breakfast. The shop offers a variety of menu items, including gluten-free bagels, bagel burgers, burritos, French toast, and an enticing array of handmade bagels.

After a brief six-month stint in 2022, Bagel Dons reopened in October 2025. Branden Sharp, one of three owners at Bagel Dons, hails from Pierre. He owns the shop along with his younger brother and friend. Together, the three make the bagels, and operations run smoothly. Sharp’s girlfriend makes the cream cheese in-house. Sharp was inspired to open his own business because of a bagel shop in Pierre from his childhood called Pierre 347.

“My mom would always go get me a bacon, egg, and cheddar breakfast sandwich and bring it back home. And then they had a fire and got shut down, so we couldn’t go get that anymore,” he said. “And then [I] moved here, was looking for something to do, and figured, why not bring some of the childhood memory back?”

Even when the shop is closed, the work doesn’t stop for Sharp and the other owners. He typically arrives at the shop around six in the morning to make bagels before the store is open and works until five in the afternoon.

“[I wish customers knew] the amount of time and effort that we put into this. At the end of the day, the most important thing to us is putting out good food,” Sharp said.

From bagel sandwiches to bagel burgers and bagel dogs, Bagel Dons has menu items to appeal to all. Perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a sit-down lunch, Bagel Dons has something for everyone, including a rotating flavor of the week.

Upon walking into the shop, customers are greeted by a calm, clean atmosphere. “Good Mornin’ Country” quietly plays on the TV to set the vibes, and nothing says good morning quite like a warm, delicious, handmade bagel.

With an impressive 4.9 stars on Google Reviews, Bagel Dons is well-loved by customers. In addition to online reviews, customers had great things to say about Bagel Dons.

Audrey Mannie, a customer at Bagel Dons, reviewed an everything bagel breakfast sandwich.

“It’s the perfect amount of soft texture that you want any bread to have, but with the perfect crunchiness from the toasted outer layer,” Mannie said. “I would argue that this is the best seasoned everything bagel I’ve ever had.”

Several customers reviewed Bagel Don’s weekly special — a blueberry bagel with blueberry cream cheese. Here is what customers said about the flavor of the week:

“It has blueberry flavor, but it’s not overpowering. It has a good balance between the sweetness and the bitterness of the blueberry,” Carlee Ready said. “I would eat this on a daily basis.”

“The cream cheese is a little watery; I like it a little thick… The taste is pretty good,” Riley Janis said.

In the future, Sharp dreams of possibly expanding the business. For now, though, he is more than happy to serve great food to the Yankton community.

“We had a couple years to perfect [the recipe] between the old place and the new one, but it was definitely months of learning how to work with the dough better,” he said. “Still learning new stuff every day, but it’s definitely been fun.”

Reese McIltrot is a senior at 51Ʒ�� University, currently pursuing a degree in English
Writing. She plays on 51Ʒ��’s softball team and is a writing tutor on campus. She is from
Broomfield, Colorado, and in her free time she enjoys reading, crocheting, and spending time
with family.