Uncle Harry’s Bagels opens newest Fresno location. Why ‘our spot’ has history
The newest Uncle Harry’s NY Bagelry & Coffeehouse is open — but this is not just another location of the local bagel shop.
It opened Tuesday next to Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop in Fig Garden Village at Shaw and Palm avenues.
It’s a return to the shopping center for Uncle Harry’s, where it once operated for 18 years.
“It was our spot,” said customer Carly Pilegard, who lives in the neighborhood. “We used to walk over on the weekends and there would be a big crowd of people here.”
She and Sara Anzaldua, also of Fresno, met up Wednesday morning to check out the space over “Beggelwich” sandwiches.
“It’s a great space,” Anzaldua said.
In the former Cowboy Chicken spot, the new Uncle Harry’s looks much like the others. It’s got the array of bagels — from plain to pesto provolone and banana nut — along with the hexagonal tiles familiar to the other four locations.
The menu is similar to other locations. Although there is no Betty’s Sandwiches inside, the Uncle Harry’s menu has expanded to include all kinds of Beggelwiches, such as steak and eggs and a “Veggie D’light.”
Drinks includes the self-serve coffees, espresso-based drinks and iced teas.
Online ordering is available for pick-up or delivery. The new location is open from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
The history in Fig Garden
Uncle Harry’s used to be located on the corner of the building in what is now the Paper Source store.
It was a neighborhood hangout, with lots of regulars.
The bagel shop closed when its lease expired in 2017 and tenant and landlord couldn’t agree to terms on a new one. A sign on the door at the time said the shopping center preferred a national tenant instead of a mom-and-pop shop.
Customers were devastated, saying the closure was a “mistake.”
But after new leasing people took over, the eatery’s owners decided to give the shopping center another chance, one of them told The Bee in January.
On Wednesday, customer John, who declined to give his last name, also decided to Uncle Harry’s again.
“I will not set foot in that paper store, I’m still mad at them,” he said. “(Uncle Harry’s) kinda got ran out.”
But as he sipped his coffee while reading his Bible with a bagel with sausage on the table, he seemed to approve of the new bagel shop.
“So far, so good,” he said. “It seems as good as it used to be.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM.
