A bagel shop in downtown Fresno? It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure that would be a good idea, but in this case it did.

The franchisees who opened Einstein Bros. Bagels locations in northeast and northwest Fresno have now brought the national chain downtown, holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to mark the opening.

“This particular space has great synergy with the convention center, exhibit hall, Saroyan Theatre — lots of different things that bring people to this area,” co-owner Patrick Monreal said.

Monreal, who also works in commercial real estate, said he wanted to invest in downtown because, despite its challenges, “This is the heart of the community.”

Challenges of a Downtown Eatery

Parking remains one of the biggest challenges for downtown businesses, Monreal said. But he’s satisfied with the metered spaces out front and nearby parking garages.

Many diners at the opening wore badges from nearby government offices — City Hall, Fresno County, and the district attorney’s office — hinting at the store’s future customer base.

Monreal plans to offer catering to many of those customers, including several attorney’s offices.

“People think that there’s not a lot of foot traffic downtown, or maybe they won’t be able to have a good, prosperous business downtown. But quite frankly, there’s nothing further from the truth,” Mayor Jerry Dyer said at the ribbon cutting.

Pizza Bagel and Iced Coffee for Mayor

Dyer said he was particularly excited to try the pizza bagel and an iced coffee, joking that the indulgence would “destroy” his diet.

While I attended the University of Michigan, Einstein Bros. — the chain now owned by Panera — was a frequent stop. At the newest Fresno location, I went with my favorite — a toasted poppy seed bagel with a jalapeño shmear.

The shmear was just the right amount. It did not create a big mess spilling out to the sides.

Located at 2343 Kern Street — across the street from the Fresno Convention Center, a space previously occupied by a Quiznos — Einstein Bros. Bagels is next to a Starbucks. The owners look forward to their new neighbors.

“We pride ourselves on our fresh-baked bagels. They have a great market in the coffee industry. We also pride ourselves in our fresh brewed coffee — that’s the Caribou brand,” general manager and co-owner Jaime Gonzalez said.

A fourth location, Monreal said, could open in Clovis. He did not provide a timeline.