Help Davey's Delicious Bagels raise money for Charis House with a holiday piggy bank donation

Ever since Davey Heritier opened his steamed bagel sandwich shop Davey's Delicious Bagels in Fort Wayne, he's been busy taking orders and making business growth.

After starting as a carry-out-only operation during the pandemic, he opened his brick-and-mortar shop in early 2021 at 1006 Broadway downtown, in the same location as West Central Coffee. Davey Heritier poses with "Peggy the Piggy" at Davey's Delicious Bagels who is collecting donations for Charis House until Dec. 22, 2021.

"The more time I spend here, the more people I meet, the more I want to do my part toward making Fort Wayne the great, world-class city that it is," Heritier says.

This holiday season, he is using his shop and his community partnerships to raise money for Charis House, a shelter for battered or homeless women and children in Fort Wayne. Near the checkout counter at Davey's Delicious Bagels, you'll see a life-sized piggy wearing a purple dress that's affectionately named "Peggy the Piggy" where you can make a donation. 

On Dec. 22, Heritier will empty the piggy bank and match the amount, and he's got several other local businesses in on the matching promise, too.

Input Fort Wayne sat down with Heritier to learn more about his holiday giving campaign and what's next for his bagel shop in 2022.

Davey's Delicious Bagels uses local meat from Wood Farms on their bagel sandwiches.

IFW: How did you come with the idea of a holiday giving campaign to raise funds for Charis House?

DH: We came across this great big piggy bank, and I thought that it could be a fun idea to “feed the piggy bank” for a charity. That idea evolved into naming the piggy bank and matching the amount. Once I bounced the idea off of some of my friends and business owners in the community, they all wanted to help and contribute. It started as a fun idea and snowballed into something that I think will make a positive impression on the community. It's a great example of how powerful the spirit and perspective of the people in Fort Wayne is. Everyone here is pitching in! 

Davey Heritier moved from Los Angeles to Fort Wayne to open his steamed bagel sandwich shop Davey's Delicious Bagels.

IFW: How does the donation process work? 

DH: Donations are currently being collected by our staff tips. At the end of each shift, we take the coins from the tip jar and put them in our giant piggy bank named "Peggy the Piggy." We also encourage anyone and everyone to come and donate to Peggy directly. 

On Dec. 22, I will open and count the amount, and then Davey’s Delicious Bagels, the Mad Ants, the TinCaps, Bright Signs Marketing, Our Mission Possible, Edgewood Chiropractic, Viva Lifestyle, West Central Coffee, and several other locally owned businesses are each matching the amount collected from Peggy the Piggy. So, the more we collect as a bagel shop, the more we’ll donate to Charis House.

Davey Heritier moved from Los Angeles to Fort Wayne to open his steamed bagel sandwich shop Davey's Delicious Bagels.

IFW: What motivates you to give back to your community?

DH: I spent a lot of time bouncing around and living in different places. When I settled on the decision to move back to Fort Wayne and open the bagel shop, I wanted to put down some roots and try my best to become an active part of the community. 

Davey Heritier opened his steamed bagel sandwich shop Davey's Delicious Bagels in Fort Wayne during the COVID-19 pandemic.

IFW: What have been your biggest successes since moving to your new Broadway/downtown location this year?

DH: Having a storefront has given me the opportunity to grow and sharpen the infrastructure of the business as well as be a consistent place for people in the community to come in and eat, work, hang out, and see art by local artists. One of my biggest goals for 2021 was to outfit the restaurant to be a community hangout, and so far, I am grateful for the results I’ve seen.

Davey's Delicious Bagels displays the work of local artists, including high school students.

IFW: The local art displayed in your shop is amazing. Tell us about it.

DH: The art scene in Fort Wayne is unlike any city I’ve seen. From music to painting and everything in between, I have been blown away by the amount of not only art appreciators, but artists creating such meaningful art here. We recently started featuring art by Homestead and North Side High School students on our walls. I am happy we have a way to elevate the work of young and talented artists.

Davey's Delicious Bagels displays the work of local artists, including high school students.

IFW: Last, but not least: What are some of the must-try items on your menu right now?

DH: The Wood Farms Beef Bacon Bandit and Wood Farms Sausage Celebration are two customer favorite options. Another goal of mine is to partner with local sources for food and ingredients, which is why I am broadening the use of Wood Farms's products in the new year.