After 42 years of operation, Eugene institution, Humble Bagel closed its doors on Tuesday.
Friends Gary Katz and Chuck Bader opened the store in 1977. What started out as bagels with a cooler of cream cheese and lox turned into a community staple with Monster cookies, muffins, croissants and challah bread. The Katzes sold the bagelry in 2015 to Glen Thomas.
Founder Gary Katz shares about the legacy of Humble Bagel and what the store meant to him.
“It was a great life because we had all different kinds of people coming in during the day. Really my favorite time of day was in the mornings when regular customers would come in and chat,” said Katz. “And, it was a very fulfilling family business too because our kids came to work in high school. So, there were a lot of good things besides the business part.”
Katz says he’s sad to see it go, but times change and so does life. The next step for the Katzes, who still own the building, is to find new tenants.
*A disclaimer: an employee of KLCC is a member of the Katz family.
