A North Carolina bagel shop got an unexpected visitor, and this customer was not about to stand politely at the counter. A three-foot alligator wandered into Bagel Dock Express in Southport, giving owner Jesse Driscoll a very good reason to back away from his own kitchen.
Small-business owners already have enough to handle. Apparently, checking for reptiles is now on the list. So much for an ordinary afternoon selling bagels.
According to the Fox News reporting cited by Not the Bee, the alligator entered the business on Oct. 29 through an open back door. It then made its way through the kitchen toward the front counter.
There is your argument for keeping the back door closed, delivered with scales and teeth. An open door sounds harmless enough until something from the local wildlife population treats it like an invitation.
Surveillance video captured Driscoll spotting the animal and quickly backing away. He then called 911. That seems like a perfectly sensible sequence of decisions. Not every problem at a small business needs an entrepreneurial solution, especially when the problem has jaws.
The source highlights the startled reactions of the men who saw the alligator. Laugh if you want, but spotting a reptile in the kitchen is a little different from watching one on a screen. Three feet may sound modest until those three feet are moving through your workplace.
Animal protective services arrived and removed the alligator. The shop later described the removal as a safe escort by local law enforcement, and its Facebook post reported no injuries.
Then Bagel Dock Express did what a resourceful small business does: It found the humor in an interruption nobody ordered.
“Apparently, word of our fresh bagels has made its way into the swamp! Our surprise visitor was safely escorted out by local law enforcement. No injuries, no drama… just one VERY unusual customer! Fresh bagels. Wild experiences.”
That is a considerably better outcome than having an injured employee or customer. It also makes for a more memorable shop update than another reminder about fresh bagels. When an alligator supplies the publicity, there is no need to oversell the story.
Credit to Driscoll for giving the animal space and calling for help rather than trying to become a wildlife wrangler between orders. Running a bagel shop is honest work. Wrestling an uninvited alligator should not have to be part of the job description.
