SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Tahoe Bagel Company is opening a second location on Lower Kingsbury in Nevada just two years after opening their first shop in South Lake Tahoe.

Owners Justin and Jeffrey Kaplan opened their first shop in 2020 in Al Tahoe after realizing it was the perfect place to start a food business. When the opportunity presented itself to the brothers to expand their shop to the old 7-11 location on Kingsbury, they jumped.

Jeffrey Kaplan said the unexpected venture into a second location came down to being fortunate and being on the money about what the town wanted in their food.

“We always in the back of our minds had hoped that this company would grow into multiple locations,” Kaplan said. “We did not think it would be this fast, but it was kind of lucky because we wanted to move to the Nevada side.”

The shop is set to open in two to three weeks, with the same menu and specials added in weekly. The specials are always changing, and usually derive from the minds of the cooking and front of house staff.

“If there’s a sandwich that they have or some crazy sandwich they love to make and we all agree it’s good, we run it for a special,” said Kaplan.

The Kaplan brothers are looking forward to not only growing their business, but also building up their staff and continuing to bring a positive atmosphere to their shops.

“We always hoped that we could be the bosses we never fully had,” said Kaplan.

Opening another shop will also create better employment options for those looking for work in town, Kaplan explained, while also making the bagel shop more easily available to the entire city of South Lake Tahoe.

“When I go around town, if I’m wearing a bagel shirt and start talking to people, a lot of times I hear them say, ‘I love your spot, but sometimes that line is just unbearable,'” said Kaplan. “And I get it. I’m the same way. So this will hopefully lighten the load of the first location, as well as make it way more accessible to the people living at Stateline and Kingsbury area.”

The hours for the new location will remain the same, but are subject to change based on what’s best for that location.

Kaplan is still in the process of hiring kitchen staff, and noted that the hiring process has been different this time around than in 2020. Back then, it was a battle of who to give shifts to, but now, it’s been more difficult to find employees.

“We did not have enough shifts to give out [in 2020],” said Kaplan. “But this time around, we’re noticing less hits on job and social media posts.”

Kaplan explained that maintaining a healthy employee workplace is important to the brothers, and they plan on offering competitive wages through tip pooling, where employees will usually leave with $10-$15 tips per hour. Additionally, the brothers consider themselves to be laid back, and understand that sometimes you have to prioritize life.

“There will be days where I will happily work the register and make coffee, or my brother will jump on the line and cook just so a staff member can go handle whatever they wanted or needed to handle,” said Kaplan.

The opening of the new shop means strengthening not only employee relationships, but community connections.

“It’s really one of those unexpected things about owning a business in town, and a business that’s very accessible to the local community,” said Kaplan. “Since we’ve opened, we as a business have built a friendship with the fire department, the police office, the first responders, because they happen to love our food. And we try to strengthen those relationships constantly.”

To learn more about Tahoe Bagel Company, visit tahoebagelco.com.