Tim Mayfield's path to bagels has never been a straight line. It began with an early fascination for cooking, creativity, and the arts. As a child, he was constantly making things—drawing, creating, and experimenting in the kitchen. That passion eventually led him to a culinary apprenticeship in Kansas City and a career in professional kitchens across the American West.

After living in Crested Butte, Colorado, where he served as sous chef of a local steakhouse, Mayfield moved to Denver and worked in some of the city's high-end restaurants. While he loved the craft, the realities of the industry made it difficult to build a sustainable life. Eventually, he stepped away from professional cooking altogether, deciding it was time to stop being creative and start being technical.

That decision led him into healthcare. After returning to school, he became a surgical technologist and spent eight years working in operating rooms across the country. The career offered stability, precision, and the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United States and abroad.

One of those travels brought him to New York City, where he spent a year immersed in a culture where bagels are woven into the rhythm of daily life. There, he saw firsthand how a simple bagel could serve as breakfast, comfort food, a gathering point, or a gift. The experience reshaped how he thought about food.

After years of travel, he came away with a simple realization: few foods are as universal as fresh bread. The bagel, in particular, is both humble and endlessly versatile—a food that belongs to everyone while still offering infinite possibilities for creativity.

Returning home to Wichita, Kansas, he noticed something missing: a vibrant bagel culture. Rather than waiting for it to arrive, he decided to build it himself.

Bijou Bagel is the result of that vision. Drawing on years of culinary training, technical discipline, and a lifetime of creative pursuits, Mayfield crafts boutique bagels and house-made crèmes designed to elevate an everyday staple into something memorable. He believes that art is creating what you wish existed in the world. Bijou Bagel is his contribution—a small but meaningful effort to bring exceptional bagels, thoughtful craftsmanship, and a little more beauty to his hometown.