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John Kenneth Pepper
Episode · #624

FRANŠIZNI KLUB/FRANCHISE CLUB John Kent Pepper, ENG

Guest John Kenneth PepperHosted by Darko BukovićMay 3, 2026
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation

Most people chase the American dream. John Kenneth Pepper and his wife Catherine reversed it, leaving New York City for Split, Croatia, without a clear plan. What started as a hobby – baking bread – quickly became a business when local expats, missing a taste of home, asked if he could make a bagel. He discovered that while the word 'bagel' was known, the product itself was not. Now, after five years, his Brooklyn Bagel company is ready to expand through franchising. Pepper shares how he built a business in an unfamiliar market, from defining a product no one understood to designing for scale from day one. He offers a contrarian view on preparing for failure and explains the constant education required to introduce a new food category. You will walk away with a clearer picture of what it takes to launch a concept that can travel, even when you’re starting from scratch in a new country.

Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
John Kenneth Pepper and his wife Catherine left New York for Split, reversing the traditional 'American dream' narrative. Sometimes the most impactful career shifts come from prioritizing lifestyle and curiosity over a pre-defined business plan.
02
Pepper's background was in advertising, but his hobby was bread making. Businesses with staying power often grow from deep, personal interests that have been cultivated for years, rather than solely from market analysis.
03
He found that what Croatians called a 'bagel' was simply bread with a hole, missing the distinct boiling step that gives a bagel its unique texture. A market gap isn't just about an absence; it's about a fundamental misunderstanding of the product's core identity.
04
Initially, Pepper wanted to sell Brooklyn Bagels wholesale to cafes, but they struggled to sell the product because customers didn't understand it. If your distribution partners cannot effectively communicate your product's value, you may need to own the direct customer experience yourself.
05
From the very first shop, Pepper thought, 'How will this work for the second shop? How will this work in a different city?' Build your initial concept with an eye toward replication, designing for universality from the outset rather than adapting later.
06
His father's advice was to 'find out all the reasons why your idea will fail,' which Pepper now calls 'terrible advice.' Obsessing over potential failures can be paralyzing; instead, focus on preparing for success and the agility to respond to unforeseen events.
07
People in Croatia knew the word 'bagel' from American TV, but often confused it with a donut or didn't know how to eat it. Introducing a new product category in an unfamiliar market requires explicit education, often starting with what it *isn't* before demonstrating what it *is*.
08
The phrase 'bagel with cream cheese' led to confusion about dipping or filling the hole, necessitating a visual aid to explain. Even seemingly obvious product usage requires clear, often visual, instruction when introducing a new food concept to a market unfamiliar with its norms.
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