PITTSBURGH – Former Bageland owner, Rusty Smithers, says he’s been eyeing up more than just bagel holes lately. After successfully running a bagel empire for more than eight months, he’s now seeking political office.
Rusty Smithers, a former small business owner known for operating the popular South Hills bagel shop Bageland, announced Friday he is seeking political office. Smithers confirmed his intention to run for State Representative in the upcoming election cycle.
In a press release, Smithers, 54, stated that his experience managing a “bagel empire for more than eight months” in the late 1990s has uniquely prepared him for the rigors of legislative service.
“I’ve been eyeing up more than just bagel holes lately,” Smithers said in the release. “I’ve been eyeing up the holes in our state budget, and I believe my executive experience managing a fast-paced breakfast enterprise is exactly what Harrisburg needs.”
Smithers’ business background is rooted in his tenure as the proprietor of Bageland on Banksville Road. He cites his success in overseeing daily operations, from managing cream cheese inventory to mastering the logistics of the Sunday morning rush, as proof of his fiscal and administrative capabilities.
“You haven’t known pressure until you’re facing a holiday weekend crowd and you’re running low on everything bagels,” Smithers noted. “That’s executive leadership. That’s problem-solving under fire.”
Smithers will be running as an independent. He says his platform will be “fiscally conservative but liberal with the schmear.”
Bageland, which closed in the early 2000s, was a well-known local establishment. Smithers has not yet specified which legislative district he will be running in, stating only that he will make a formal campaign kickoff announcement later this summer.
