The Bagel Express opened in 1994, offering bagel breakfasts, soups and salads for lunch and espresso coffees.

With free wireless Internet seven days a week, Bagel Express is an ideal venue for a college student or busy professional looking to get some work done in a more comfortable environment than the office. (Updated 2.23.09)

Baker's Dozen, which began in 2004 as a mom-and-pop style doughnut store, is now a 24-hour-a-day operation. The S.W. 21st St. store recently moved a few blocks west into an 11,000-square-foot building that offers a 24-hour drive-through window seven days a week. The spacious dining room hours on 21st St., where all of the store's baking is done, are now 3 a.m. to 10 p.m. The S.E. 29th St. store, which used to be the baking site, remains open from 6 a.m. to noon daily.

Regulars will still find the popular Peanut Butter and Jelly Donut and the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Donut, with fresh batches now made twice a day. And you still get more for your money at Baker's Dozen, which stays true to its name by adding an extra doughnut to every dozen you purchase. Diabetic? No problem! Baker's Dozen offers several doughnuts made with Splenda. (Updated 9.15.09)

Daddy Cakes is the only place you will find gourmet cupcakes in the Topeka area. Enjoy a "Daddy Cake," which is a cupcake the size of a Texas muffin, or a "Baby Cake," which is a regular size cupcake. If you're concerned about the health impacts of a giant-sized cupcake, try a "Skinny Cake," a cupcake featuring 200 calories or less, fewer than five grams of fat and healthier ingredients than your normal cupcake. (Updated 2.26.09)

Go to the grocery store for lunch or dinner, and let someone else do the cooking. The kitchen at this Dillons churns out meals you can eat at one of their dine-in tables or take home to the family.

Home-style meals include hand-breaded fried chicken and roasted rotisserie chicken. Other offerings vary by day but may include enchiladas, barbecue ribs, lasagna and barbecue chicken — all available with a variety of sides. If you're looking for something simple, try a made-to-order deli sandwich.