Main Street Bagels has been a Los Altos institution for decades, beloved by many for its bagels and the relationships cultivated within its walls at Rancho Shopping Center.
Longtime owners Sen and Ty Yen stepped away from the business late last year, but new proprietor Sano Tien hopes to continue the tradition.
Tien first began training to take over Main Street Bagels in January 2020, but his plans were put on hold when pandemic restrictions took effect two months later. He returned to Main Street Bagels last July, assuming full responsibility in October.
Since then, Tien said he has put in long hours, often arriving at the shop at 4 a.m.
Tien has overcome many challenges, including old machinery in need of replacement breaking down, all while raising a 3-month-old with his wife, Lina.
“We have two babies: the shop and the baby,” Tien said.
Although he was considering several different opportunities for running a bagel business, Tien ultimately chose Main Street Bagels because of the location.
“When I was in college, I used to work at Los Altos Bakery,” he said of the shop at Rancho that is now Green Bakery and Cafe. “There are nice people here. I’d been looking around, but we liked this area more than the others.”
A strong sense of community
Since taking over Main Street Bagels, Tien has observed the strong connections staff have formed with customers, which he attributes to the shop’s residential location and the familiarity that comes with attracting so many regulars.
“I’ve enjoyed working here because the people are friendly,” he said.
The strong sense of community is nothing new for Main Street Bagels, according to Jeannine Antypas, a former Los Altos School District teacher who has been going to Main Street Bagels with a group of friends for 22 years. Antypas said Sen Yen would greet every regular customer by name, remembering their order and if they wanted bagels to take home for their families.
But the relationship between Yen and the regulars at Main Street Bagels was more personal than what type of cream cheese they preferred.
“We kind of grew up with her,” Antypas said. “She knew about our weddings, the births of our grandchildren, where the children traveled, where we had traveled, and so she went through all of our adventures together.”
Nicole Snedigar, whose mother frequented Main Street Bagels with Antypas, has carried on the tradition of going to Main Street Bagels with her own children. Whether it was a weekly post-preschool lunch with her son, a snack with her daughter after Gymboree class or takeout during the pandemic, Main Street Bagels and Yen have been a fixture across generations.
“(My daughter’s) favorite part of the bagel shop was chatting with Sen, who listened patiently to every story and gave her full attention to the conversation,” Snedigar said. “My daughter thought of Sen as one of her friends and frequently gave her little drawings and notes.”
Ensuring that Main Street Bagels is here in the long run is a key part of why Tien has been and will continue to put in the hard work and hours.
“My wife and I are going to stay here for a long time,” he said.
Main Street Bagels is located at 666 Rancho Shopping Center. For shop hours and more information, call (650) 949-3640.
