A good bagel to a New Jerseyan is simply a necessity. So, when the gang and I picked up and moved to Florida in 2021, we immediately noticed a big problem: no good bagels! What could this mean? No more weekends at the local bagel shop picking up a hot dozen to go with our scrambled eggs and pork roll? We wouldn’t let the rituals end. We knew we had to transform from a family of bagel-lovers to a crew of bagel-bakers. And it all started with me, the OG “bagel babe” and gymnast turned baker.

After a few years of hand-rolling plenty of flat bagels in my kitchen, using my NJ-Italian family of critics & cooks as the judges, I finally mastered my recipe for our OG Plain Babe Bagel. I can promise you the Florida water was never the problem. These bagels are proof. But you don’t have to take my word for it, just try one and you’ll see.

Motor City Squares was founded on a simple belief: that the best pizza starts with the best ingredients and time-honored techniques. Our Detroit-style pies are baked in seasoned blue steel pans, layered with Wisconsin brick cheese that melts down the sides to form that iconic, caramelized Frico crust.

Our dough is made fresh daily and proofed to perfection, giving our squares that airy, focaccia-like interior with a crispy, golden exterior. We top our pizzas with premium ingredients and finish with racing stripes of our house-made tomato sauce.

Whether you’re a lifelong Detroiter or trying your first square, we’re here to share a slice of Motor City tradition with you.

Carúpano Kitchen was born out of family, heritage, and a love for sharing food.

Back in high school, Andrea realized that her arepas, prepared by her mother with the flavors of her hometown Carúpano, were unlike anything her classmates had ever tasted. Stuffed with chorizo carupanero, cazón, or morcilla, these foil-wrapped breakfasts became the envy of her peers. What started as sharing bites quickly turned into selling 15-20 arepas a day. With her mom as the chef and Andrea as the salesperson, this mother-daughter duo unknowingly began their first business together.

Years passed, and life took Andrea from Caracas to the United States. She studied, worked in sales, and built a career, but she never stopped making arepas for friends, parties, or anyone willing to try a taste of home. Every shared arepa carried with it the joy, warmth, and resilience of her Venezuelan roots.

Carúpano Kitchen is not just a business, it’s a love letter to her mother’s cooking, her family’s history, and the flavors of the Venezuelan coast.