The Dunedin couple established Beam Me Up Bagels, initially selling at the Otago Farmers Market and, in May, opening a shop in North Rd.
Both came from hospitality backgrounds but, when their three children arrived, they found the combination did not work particularly well.
While living in Christchurch they became bagel fans and Mr MacGregor had also spent time in the United States, where they were popular.
Mr MacGregor moved into IT work but started making bread and bagels at home, which proved popular with their friends.
Soon, he found himself making up to 50 bagels, which were "going in a sitting'', and they approached the Otago Farmers Market for a stall.
Incrementally, they built up bagel numbers and continued to sell out.
There was a quite a seasonal focus for their toasted bagels, using produce from the market or from other Dunedin suppliers.
The couple's bagels became so popular that cafes started asking if they could supply them and the business kept growing.
They started out making their bagels at the Kaikorai Rugby Club but, when that got too small, they moved to the old Fitzroy Hotel in South Dunedin, but the kitchen there was too cold and the bagels were "unhappy'', Mrs MacGregor said.
They wanted customers to see the bagels being made and to offer people fresh bagels.
"It's going really well ... and the bagels are very happy, which makes me happy,'' she said.
Now, Mr MacGregor had moved into working at the bagel business fulltime and the couple enjoyed working together.
They made small batches, meaning they could change flavours often.
Their flavour range included jalapeno and cheddar, wholemeal, and rosemary and olive oil.
Bagels were hand-rolled on a large wooden table and then chilled overnight before being boiled the traditional way in malt sourced from Speight's.
Beam Me Up Bagels were still available at the farmers market each week and the market had been a great gateway to opening a business.
It would have been "such a risk'' to establish a business without having that exposure.
They had also been offered business mentorship through the market and had jumped at that opportunity, Mrs MacGregor said.
The market also had such a food focus, with customers looking for hand-made locally sourced traditional products.
She was impressed by the "diehard'' approach of those customers, who turned up even in bad weather.
On such days, they were still very busy.
As for their own bagel consumption?
Two years on and they still enjoyed eating them for lunch.
"That's a good sign,'' she laughed.
