How a craving for a cheese bagel inspired Auburn's popular Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro

AUBURN — The expression “necessity is the mother of invention” proved especially true for Konr and Heather Williams, owners of The Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro in Auburn.

“I was pregnant during the heat of the pandemic, and all I wanted was a cheese bagel,” said Heather Williams.

After being sent home to work in her position as the marketing manager at West Ridge Mall, Williams said she would drive into Topeka from Auburn daily just to buy a bagel. Although she has a background in culinary arts and attended culinary school, it was Konr Williams who eventually solved the problem of her bagel cravings.

“He’s a jack-of-all trades and makes phenomenal bread,” said Williams. “One day, I found a recipe for cheese bagels, and I said to him: ‘This is all I want. Will you make them?’”

Auburn business began with pregnancy craving

What began as a way to appease his pregnant wife turned into a business venture.

The Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro is open weekdays for breakfast and lunch, serving such community favorites as cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing, cheddar chive biscuits and sausage gravy, and, of course, fresh bagels.

According to Heather Williams, the Asiago Parmesan is their top seller.

“We make our bagels by hand every day. Everything is made from scratch,” she said.

The bagels are prepared by John Husman, who brought his experience growing up in his parents’ restaurant to his role at The Forgotten Grain.

“He grew up in a restaurant in Holton in the 1970s, so he knew how it would function,” said Williams. “He’s my right-hand man. Anyone can make baked goods. It’s really the person who makes them good.”

The lunch menu at The Forgotten Grain includes a soup of the day and the Pizzagle sandwich — a toasted Asiago Parmesan bagel topped with cream cheese, homemade marinara, provolone and pepperoni. The business also offers a variety of pastries and such desserts as shortbreads, apple crisp and chocolate chip cookies.

“We’re trying to offer more gluten-sensitive options,” said Williams. “We can’t call them gluten-free because they could still come in contact with gluten particles in the air, but we do everything in our power to keep them separate.”

Williams said she has regular customers from as far away as Harveyville, Eskridge, Wichita, Emporia, Osage City, Burlingame, Dover and beyond. One woman from Washington state made the drive to Auburn to eat at The Forgotten Grain while she was in Topeka visiting family.

“I have a lot of people who come from Topeka on their lunch hour. It’s an honor because they only have an hour,” said Williams.

Time was right to move back home to Auburn

The Forgotten Grain isn't the Williams’ first venture into small business ownership. Konr, who has worked in the automotive and information technology industries, operated The Car Lounge, 1901 S. Kansas Ave. in Topeka, before it closed its doors.

The Williams family chose Auburn for its latest business pursuit because the idea fit a community need for a bakery. Konr was born and raised in Auburn, and while the couple once thought they would never again embrace small town living, they decided to return when Konr Williams’ childhood home was listed for sale.

Within 48 hours of seeing the listing, they found themselves closing on the house.

“Auburn has grown a lot in the last six years,” said Heather Williams. “People need to come out and enjoy Auburn as a community. It’s not just The Forgotten Grain. They should visit Gambino’s, El Ranchito, Funky Finds.”

Williams said she opens the bakery on weekends for the Auburn fair, which takes place in late fall, and for the town Halloween parade.

“It’s important to play an integral part and do better for your community. Being a small business owner is like having golden handcuffs,” Williams said. “It can be hard to balance being a small business owner with being a wife and a mother.

"I work seven days a week, and everything that is done to keep the business running is done by me. People don’t think about that when opening a business. It’s a lot of dedication and hard work.”

Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro is expanding its business

The Williams plan to continue to serve their community and are working on an expansion project that will grow their seating from a capacity of 12-15 people to 49.

Additionally, they have a wholesale license, which allows The Forgotten Grain to partner with PT’s Coffee in Wheatfield Village. The restaurant supplies the Topeka coffee shop with baked goods, and in return, The Forgotten Grain brews only PT’s coffee.

“Choose local businesses. It’s important to keep our money in our community. So much goes out when you shop at a franchise,” said Williams. “Franchises don’t pay their employees a livable wage. When you support local, you’re supporting local workers in your community and not just the business.”

Where is Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro and when is it open?

The Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro is located at 841 Washington St., Suite B, in Auburn.

It is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public can follow The Forgotten Grain on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Cheese bagel inspired Auburn's popular Forgotten Grain Bakery & Bistro