Winston Mezo, Carbondale’s legendary bagel man, to retire this weekend
April 26, 2017
After 34 years, Winston Mezo will sell one last bagel this weekend before retiring from the business.
Mezo, a native of Herrin and resident of Carbondale, stood above the charcoal grill situated in his cart April 9, entertaining a growing crowd as the bars closed.
“It only took [my nephew] an hour and a half to watch ’60 Minutes’ the other night,” Mezo said, prompting laughs from the college-age group. “Yes we’re proud, proud and envious.”
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A schtick about a made-up nephew is one of many reasons Mezo, better known as the Bagel Man, has been a local legend since 1983.
The 75-year-old man spends his weekends in the parking lot of Pinch Penny Liquors selling bagels covered in anything from onions, cucumbers and bacon bits to sunflower seeds, raisins, apples and cinnamon to bar-goers until as early as 3 a.m. He then packs up his supplies and heads to Walmart to restock.
But the bagel business hasn’t always been a part of Mezo’s life. Instead, it found him at a time he needed a distraction.
“I came here to sober up,” he said of moving to Carbondale out of the military and discovering a local 12-Step program, which he described as a group that helps members achieve sobriety.
Mezo said another man in the 12-Step program offered to let him help with a bagel cart on the Strip as a distraction from drinking. Eventually, Winston bought the cart for himself.
He has been sober for 35 years and has been making bagels for just as long.
Mezo credits his experience with the 12-Step program to a lot of his success.
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“I do 12-Step program so I can do anything else,” he said. “Without that I wouldn’t have anything, I’d still be lying in the alleys.”
For his first decade as the Bagel Man, Mezo, who joined the Army out of high school, also worked for a paramilitary outfit based in Florida. This left him absent from his night job for anywhere from a couple days to a couple months.
Eventually he left the paramilitary job and bought a second cart. Now, decades later, he just operates his cart off Grand Avenue, but aside from that, not much about his business has changed.
But, he said, the city has.
Mezo said the biggest difference he’s noticed in the past decades is fewer students coming to Carbondale every year, recalling his experience at SIU as a student in the late 1960s, a time he described as SIU having a campus full of “hippies and guys fresh out of the military.”
“It was a different world, let me put it that way,” said Mezo, who graduated in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. “There were kids all over this place man, thousands of them.”
Since Winston started selling bagels in 1973, according to university data, enrollment has dropped from 20,353 students to fewer than 16,000.
But when alumni come back to visit, they are often surprised to find the Bagel Man right where they left him.
“There’s people that come back, they’ve been gone for years, and they come back to see if I’m still living, still kicking … they said, ‘we heard you were on social media,’” he said.
Mathew Phillips, of Carbondale, has been one of Mezo’s closest friends after meeting him at the 12-Step group. He said the Bagel Man isn’t a household name just in Carbondale.
“I’ve been downtown Chicago with him … and someone across the square yelled, ‘Hey Winston!’” Phillips said.
Despite the popularity, Mezo said the toughest part of the job these days is staying out so late. But that hasn’t stopped him.
“As old as I am, I don’t think I’ve ever felt better and been able to get around any better than I can now,” he said. “If you told me I’d be this busy this time in my life I’d say man ain’t no way, I’m going to kick back … but I wouldn’t like that, it ain’t me.”
And that shows in his dedication to his community, particularly 12-Step.
Mezo has run a substance abuse hotline for the past 13 years and sponsors two others in the group.
“They said one day, if you stay in [12-Step], you’ll be able to contribute more than anyone else,” Mezo said. “There’s a lot of hope in there.”
Meanwhile, Mezo has also given hope to a lot of people.
Norris Muckelroy, a long-time friend of Mezo’s from the program, said when Mezo retires, the community will not only be losing a great bagel, but also a great friend.
“Do the best that you can in life and go with your dreams,” Muckelroy said of the message Mezo has taught him and exemplifies to others. “I don’t think there’s a more loving person in the whole wide world.”
As for retirement, Mezo plans on slowing down a little, but not much.
“I’ll be retired, unless of course Hollywood spies me and I have to go make a major motion picture,” he joked.
Mezo, a regular at SIU’s Recreation Center and an avid pool player, said he looks forward to having more time for both, as well as more time to travel with the 12-Step program.
Until then, this weekend will be the last time Mezo unloads his cart from his white van.
“I’ll miss it. I’ll miss it terribly,” he said. “I’ll miss interacting with those kids on Friday and Saturday nights but then I won’t miss that 4 o’clock in the morning rain, snow, sleet and hail, trying to get that cart loaded and then having to go to Walmart and then pounding coffee and having to feel all dirty from that grill and sticky with cream cheese and stuff all over me.”
But, this likely won’t be the last Carbondale sees of the Bagel Man, who said he may be around from time to time to help whoever buys the cart if they need it. As of Tuesday, however, he is still working on securing a buyer.
“You’re not going to believe this when I tell you, but interacting with those kids is a big part of my life,” said Mezo, who never had kids of his own. “They’re hard-working, industrious. They tell me about school, what their majors are. … Not in my living experience have I known kids like that.”
Weather permitting, the Bagel Man will fire up his grill one last time from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday in front of the Pinch Penny liquors.
Editor-in-Chief Anna Spoerre can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @annaspoerre.
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Daniel Paczynski • Nov 16, 2019 at 1:06 am
Yes indeed, some of my most profound memories from SIU were visits to wintons bagles. Line was always long. Some nights I would of waited forever for his tasty bagels. Everyone down there at the time knows exactly what I’m talking about. God Bless You, safe travels. Saluki 97-99
David Carll • Jul 7, 2019 at 10:07 am
I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU, YOUR BAGELS AND OUR CONVERSATIONS.
I started school at SIU in 1997 after getting out of my 6 yrs of service with the USAF. I met Winston then, his bagels were awesome every weekend, but most of all it was his character, he was always a motivator and willing to talk about things you had on your mind. He is a true legend in Carbondale to thousands of customer and fans of his.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A FUNDING FOR A STAR TO BE PLACED ON THE MAIN STRIP SIDEWALK FOR WINSTON.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU WINSTON IN YOUR RETIREMENT
David Carll • Jul 7, 2019 at 10:04 am
I started school at SIU in 1997 after getting out of my 6 yrs of service with the USAF. I met Winston then, his bagels were awesome every weekend, but most of all it was his character, he was always a motivator and willing to talk about things you had on your mind. He is a true legend in Carbondale to thousands of customer and fans of his.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A FUNDING FOR A STAR TO BE PLACED ON THE MAIN STRIP SIDEWALK FOR WINSTON.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU WINSTON IN YOUR RETIREMENT
Amy Giomi-Bingenheimer • May 1, 2017 at 8:14 pm
First time I ever had bagels, much less all the toppings he offered, was from Winston The Bagel Man. Congratulations to a successful entrepreneur on his retirement! -Amy, SIUC Alumni
Patrick Twomey • May 1, 2017 at 6:47 am
Winston, until I came across you and your bagel cart, I had never had a bagel. Well after college, I lived in NY and measured their bagels against yours. One of a kind.
I never thought about the man behind the bagel, as I was too selfish to notice. Sorry about that. Thank you for changing so many lives, be it from bagels or being a friend to those who needed it most.
You have made a difference in so many lives.
Jayna • Apr 29, 2017 at 8:57 am
Thank you for the memories! We still talk of you and wish you the very best in all you do. Jayna, class of 2000
Donna & John Wisely • Apr 28, 2017 at 8:12 pm
Winston,
It was always comforting to know there was a friendly face in town, even long after we’d gone. We were in C’dale from ’86-’91 and enjoyed many a bagel & a story with you. We visited periodically since then and loved to see you shine. We’ve told all our friends in the north end of the state that bagels aren’t the same in Carbondale. We’ve perfected our own version of your specialty and love to serve them after midnight on New Year’s Eve. Every year our friends insist they couldn’t eat a whole one, so they split as a couple. Never fails, we have to add more coals to the grill because after 1 bite, they’ve decided they’re not willing to give half to someone else.
“You’re off to great places,
today is your day
Your mountain is waiting
So get on your way” -Dr. Seuss
We wish you health and happiness in your retirement!
Brian Noonan • Apr 28, 2017 at 10:24 am
I’m a proud Saluki from the class of ’85. The news of Winston’s retirement brought back such great memories. I was a frequent customer in his early days after a night at TJ’s. I might not have had $3 for a sandwich, but I always had a dollar for a fantastic bagel from a very friendly guy who had immeasurable patience with his tipsy clientele.
Best wishes on your retirement Winston! You made an indelible mark not only on Carbondale, but on the thousands of students/residents you came in contact with!
Mary Carroll • Apr 28, 2017 at 8:03 am
Winston, thanks for being there for us. I was at SIU 86-90. I ordered cream cheese & bacon bits but my most favorite were your jokes.
Brendan Lee • Apr 28, 2017 at 7:55 am
Winston! Thanks for all your great work! Loved my many conversations with you (though I can’t remember them) when you were parked outside the Hangar (1992-1996).
William Lane • Apr 27, 2017 at 7:10 pm
Hey Winston, I used to park my motorcycle behind while I worked at Gatsbys, came out every night for a bagel, as you always told me, I will tell you as far as retirement is concerned…”Ain’t nothing to it man!” Thank you for the great chats.
Phil Maggio • Apr 27, 2017 at 2:40 pm
So many visits to that bagel stand during my 3.5 years in Carbondale. I still would hit it up when I came back to town after graduating. Good luck with retirement Winston, SIU-C won’t be the same without you. – Phil Maggio class of 2000
Bryan Lewis • Apr 27, 2017 at 11:16 am
As soon as I saw this article pop up online it brought a smile to my face. I loved talking to Bagel Man and watching him make bagels for all the other hungry kids when I was in school. It’s people like him that turn a city into a community. He’ll be greatly missed by many.
Scott Hock • Apr 27, 2017 at 8:16 am
The man before Winston was” Hadley the bagel man”. He would set up in front of Hanger 9 back when Illinois ave. was considered “The Strip” (at least he did from 1981-1984). It was cool to come back years later to visit my son at school and find Winston and his bagel cart.
Jeannie Schuberth • Apr 27, 2017 at 1:05 am
Love ya Winston!! I still try to emulate your bagels. Thanks for all the smiles, great conversations and most of all, the love you’ve always shared with all. Best in your retirement and God bless.
Brad • Apr 26, 2017 at 9:31 pm
I’d like to open bidding on the grill / cart. How can we do this
Brad • Apr 26, 2017 at 9:28 pm
I’d like to open bidding on the grill / cart. How can we do this?
Sarah Bobko • Apr 26, 2017 at 9:05 pm
Thanks for all the memories & great bagels, Winston. All the best to you. ~Sarah Bobko, Class of ’96 #applescinnamonbuttercreamcheese
Sarah Bobko • Apr 26, 2017 at 9:04 pm
Thanks for the great memories & yummy bagels, Winston. All the best to you. ~Sarah Bobko, Class of ’96
Patty Crowley • Apr 26, 2017 at 6:41 pm
Good luck Winston. My daughter graduates in may and she was going to take me for my first Winston bagel. I’m sorry I’m going to miss it. There isn’t a chance you’ll postpone retirement until graduation?? My daughter and her friends have nothing but good things to say about you. You will truly be missed. Best wishes, suluki mom 2017
Jen Levine • Apr 26, 2017 at 6:10 pm
You had a great run, Winston! We visited from Cape Girardeau (SEMO) from 1991-95. Enjoy your retirement!
Cass • Apr 26, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Winston’s bagel stand was definitely a great stopping spot after a late night on the strip. He is definitely an iconic part of the Carbondale strip! Congratulations in your retirement Winston!
Cass • Apr 26, 2017 at 5:39 pm
Winston’s bagel stand was definitely a great stopping spot after a late night on the strip. He is definitely an iconic part of the Carbondale strip!
Scott Kahler • Apr 26, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Winston, I worked for you from 90-92 when we were outside Gatspy’s. You have always had a place in my heart as a great employer and mentor. But most importantly, you have been and inspiration and friend to thousands. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement dear friend and you always have a place to stay if you want to come taste an Atlanta bagel.
Jim Syler • Apr 26, 2017 at 1:59 pm
I think he started selling bagels in 1983. That or it has been more than 34 years. Pick one.