Blazing Bagels abruptly closes all locations
A sign taped to the Blazing Bagels Redmond location on March 13, 2026. Photo by Jason Miller.
By Madeline Virginia
March 31, 2026
Originally published in the Spring 2026 edition of the Redmond Moments Newspaper.
On the evening of March 12, the long-time Redmond bakery closed all five Seattle-area locations with immediate effect, and laid off staff with a mass email.
Blazing Bagels and Bakery Inc. started in 2001 at their location on 176th Ave NE in Redmond. Last year, founder Dennis Ballen retired, and his daughter Whitney Ballen took over as CEO. The change in leadership marked a year of big changes implemented within the company.
In December 2025, Ballen made a similarly sudden announcement when the wholesale and distribution division of the company was shut overnight, and staff laid off. Affected employees were left frustrated, without severance or notice just two weeks before the Christmas holiday.
In a statement to Redmond Moments, Ballen said, “The company had plans to expand its operations across the Pacific Northwest, but due to a series of unforeseen circumstances, the company has made the excruciating decision to close its doors. The family is deeply saddened and appreciates the years of support from the community and its employees.”
