SANDPOINT — Uptown Bagel Company’s owners Angelina Henry and Marcy Timblin aim to make more happy people by 2 p.m. every day with deliciously addictive bagelwiches, outstanding customer experience, and 1980s retro vibe.

Henry and Timblin, both locals, realized that Sandpoint is the kind of place that should have a bagel shop and decided to open one. The pair opened the business in the Belwood Building on Third Avenue on Monday, Nov. 12.

Timblin first pitched the idea to Henry after visiting her daughter in Moscow, Idaho.

“On the way home, I started writing a business plan on my phone for a bagel shop that was a cross between Moscow Bagel and Dutch Bros. Coffee with an upbeat, 1980s vibe. I waited a week before pitching the idea to Angie, who has a lot of deli and business experience. She couldn’t wait for me to stop talking before agreeing to it,” Timblin said.

“We really want to create that “Cheers” experience, knowing our customers by name and providing a welcoming atmosphere,” Henry added. “We’re a bagel shop, but our primary product is happiness.”

The pair enlisted a business coach from the Idaho Small Business Development Center, who suggested that they contact the North Idaho College Design Department about designing their logo. A partnership ensued and their NIC team got to work on creating Uptown’s print and digital presence. Lydia Herring, a second-year student in the program designed the logo, menu, print and digital ads, and the window vinyl signage. Brad Schwartz, web and graphic design instructor leads a team of students in the development of the website, which will soon include an online ordering portal.

“Marcy and Angelina approached me with their idea just before the fall semester started, so the students accepted the assignment the first week of class. Now that the semester is ending, we are exploring ways to keep the partnership going while creating opportunities for graduating students,” said Philippe Valle, NIC Design Program director.

Uptown’s bagelwiches are made from authentic, hand-rolled bagels, imported from New Yorker Bagels in Queens, N.Y. They carry eight bagel varieties, plus rotating flavors. The menu features 14 bagelwiches named after local iconic features and 1980’s references, like The Long Bridge and The BananaWhama. The full menu is posted at www.uptownbagels.com. Uptown makes four flavors of “friskchkäse,” a German cream cheese that is slightly silkier than the American counterpart. It comes in Herb, Honey, Roasted Red Pepper, and the House Plain Frischkäse (pronounced frish-kaza).

Dedicated to serving locals, the duo bravely opened during the shoulder season with a price point that ranges from $2.29 for a bagel and frischkäse to $11.49 for a “Brat Pack,” which includes any bagelwich, a side of chips or salad, a cookie or fruit, and a drink of choice. They will roll out online ordering, gluten-free bagels, and delivery in the coming weeks. To be alerted when new items and services become available, customers can sign up for the Digital Underground program which includes special alerts and a weekly newsletter, The Happy Monday. A sign up form is located on their website at UptownBagels.com.

Open Monday-Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Uptown Bagel Co. is located on Third Avenue in the Belwood Building next to the Fat Pig Restaurant behind Pend d’Oreille Winery.