Bagels are booming—and whether you're a neighborhood bagel shop or a wholesale bagel manufacturer, choosing the right equipment is the key to producing consistent, high-quality bagels. At Empire Bakery Equipment, we’ve spent over 45 years helping bagel shops streamline production, improve consistency, and grow their business with reliable and trusted bagel machinery.

In this guide, you will learn all about our innovative Bagel Divider & Former, so you can build a workflow that’s faster, smoother, and more profitable for your bagel shop without having to increase labor costs or sacrifice quality.

What Is a Bagel Former?

A bagel former automatically and evenly divides and shapes dough pieces into consistent, perfectly formed bagels in seconds. Instead of rolling by hand, the former feeds dough through rollers and forms it through a shaping tube. This process is simple and does not stress or heat the dough. 

Empire bagel former

The Empire Advantage

Empire’s bagel former is known for:

  • Exceptional consistency with every batch
  • High-speed production of up to 3,000 bagels formed per hour
  • American-built durability that stands up to years of daily use
  • Easy operation and cleaning, perfect for busy bakeries

Many bagel shops across the country rely on Empire Bagel Divider/Formers as the backbone of their bagel production. 

The Importance of a Bagel Divider/Former in Your Workflow

A bagel divider and former ensures every dough piece is the same weight—crucial for consistent baking, proofing, and customer satisfaction. This level of consistency will allow you to make a uniform product, limit waste, and keep the customers satisfied with every visit. 

Why Use an Empire Bagel Divider?

  • Eliminates inconsistent product weights and sizes
  • Improves portion accuracy and limits product waste
  • Rapidly increases production speed
  • Reduces labor costs without sacrificing quality

Setting Up a Bagel Shop with Empire Equipment

If you're launching a new bagel shop—or upgrading your current setup—Empire provides everything you need to build a high-performance production line. Since the first bagel boom of the early 90’s, Empire has been a leader in bagel equipment and has helped hundreds of bagel shops open their doors and continue their success. 

Essential Empire Equipment for Bagel Shops

Space & Workflow Planning

Empire’s team of experienced professionals works directly with bakers to design an efficient layout tailored to your:

  • Production goals
  • Available space
  • Budget
  • Staffing levels

Whether you're producing 500 bagels a day or 5,000, Empire ensures you have the right tools in the right places so your bagel shop can succeed day in and day out. 

Why Choose Empire for Your Bagel Equipment?

For decades, Empire has been one of the most trusted names in bakery equipment. And when the bagel boom of the 90's happened, Empire was at the forefront, supply new bagel shops with bagel equipment all across the country. Since then, Empire has been a trusted name and a leader in the bagel industry.