Holey rolling: New York-style bagel shop now open in Midtown Nashville

Hector Sanchez could hand-roll 520 bagels in 45 minutes in his glory days. The New Jersey native started making bagels at 16 years old, working part-time at shops across the Garden State and mastering the art of a perfectly rolled, boiled and baked bagel.

Now a 57-year-old father of two, he can "only" roll about 260 bagels per hour these days — which is still 100 pounds of flour. Another difference? He has his own shop in Nashville, H&S Bagels. The New York-style bagel counter recently opened at 105 17th Ave. South in Midtown and offers a new taste to a city where machine-rolled bagels are the norm.

"I never thought of owning a bagel store until I came to Nashville," Sanchez said. "In New Jersey, there's a lot of competition."

The hand-rolled bagels at H&S are larger than those sold at most breakfast and grocery chains throughout Music City. Customers can order plain bagels or bagel sandwiches including a "Classic New Yorker" with cream cheese, lox, onion and capers. Nashville brewer Good Citizen Coffee Co. provides grounds at H&S.

Sanchez has spent serious dough on equipment for his shop, from a massive rotating tray oven to a four-stage water filtration system that simulates New York City's water — said to be the secret behind the Big Apple's famous pizza and bagels.

"Every once in a while, you get dough that is perfect," he said. "But now, since I've had this machine, every single time, I've gotten perfect, perfect dough."

Sanchez, who formerly rolled bagels in between a full-time middle school teaching job, said he brings a hard-working Jersey attitude to Music City. When the pandemic delayed his opening date, he worked at Lowe's Home Improvement to make money and set up the kitchen himself in between shifts.

But he's already fallen in love with Nashville.

"I have not yet met somebody from Tennessee that doesn't say, 'Good morning! How you doing?'" Sanchez said. "I'm not used to that, and I'm getting into that habit. I love it."

Cole Villena covers business at The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee. Reach Cole at cvillena@tennessean.com or 615-925-0493. Follow Cole on Twitter at @ColeVillena and on Instagram at @CVinTennessee.