Dave Hubertus had Bagels & Joe in mind when he decided to pursue his dream of running a coffeehouse.

He considered starting a franchise. He also thought about opening his own shop.

But after thinking about it, he decided he wanted to run an existing eatery — a place that already had found its niche in Lincoln’s market.

A place like Bagels & Joe, a local operation with a history of success.

The small bakery has been a staple in southeast Lincoln since 1993. There were two others in town, but both have since closed.

Hubertus became the owner two years ago and now can’t imagine doing anything else. He took over the shop after 25 years in manufacturing. He ran steel fabrication plants in Lincoln and Gonzalez, Texas.

“The bottom line is I’m doing this because I enjoy it,” he said.

His first order of business was changing Bagels & Joe’s emphasis. He didn’t want a diner. He preferred a more fast-casual kind of place.

Bagels & Joe still has bagels (25 varieties) and spreads (18 of them, including the signature hand-blended peanut butter and honey) as well as such favorites as the orchard chicken salad, turkey cranberry salad and tropical tuna salad.

I ordered the turkey cranberry salad on a cranberry walnut bagel ($3.99) and added tomato, onion and cucumber for a light, tasty sandwich. Of course, I followed it with a rice crispy bar covered in chocolate ($1.50), completely destroying my healthy intention.

Hubertus has added five wraps, two paninis and an assortment of fruit smoothies. He also upgraded the espresso selection.

The Mandarin Chicken Wrap ($4.67) has caught on fast, Hubertus said. It features grilled chicken, lettuce, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, rice noodles, toasted sesame seeds and a homemade mandarin dressing.

The most popular panini is the turkey capacollo ($5.65). The sandwich includes roasted turkey, artichoke, provolone and Italian capacollo.

Hubertus also changed the decor. The bakery has a contemporary, upscale look with dark rich colors. He’s replacing the fluorescent lights soon and planning to put up a new sign on the building to attract passersby.

Hubertus likes his location — at 47th Street and Old Cheney Road — but realizes he’s a bit hidden in the strip mall.

“I still get people walking in the door and asking when did we open,” he said. “They just don’t see us back here.”

His goal is to make Bagels & Joe a destination for breakfast and lunch.

“We’re working hard to make this a friendly, inviting place,” he said. “If you want something a certain way, we’ll do it. We want to build a clientele.”

He’s off to a pretty good start.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.

Dining out

Bagels & Joe

4701 Old Cheney Road

Atmosphere: Casual

Specialty: Bagels, sandwiches, wraps

Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards

Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday

Phone: (402) 423-7797

Web site: www.bagelsandjoe.com

Notes: Parking, no alcohol, wireless capabilities, takeout, catering