Tax Day might usually be a mundane occasion, but for Tommy and Lizzie Hiltz, this April 15 was full of excitement as they officially became the new owners of Crestline Bagel.

“That was not intentional,” Lizzie said with a laugh. Though unexpected, the date marked the beginning of a heartfelt new chapter in Mountain Brook’s culinary story.

Lizzie, a Birmingham native, holds decades of fond memories tied to the community staple. “I grew up here. I’m from Birmingham, and spent my whole life coming to Crestline Bagel, I have really fond and important memories coming with my family, and particularly my dad on the way to school in the morning, and we’ve always loved this place,” she said. “Tommy and I lived in Boston for five years, and prior to that, this was the very last place that we ate. We had the moving truck that we parked over by the tot-lot so we wouldn’t get towed and came here as our very last spot.”

Crestline Bagel Co., a beloved Birmingham staple, is beginning a new chapter as longtime owners Ralph and Jennifer Yarbrough have officially passed the torch to new ownership, according to recent announcements on social media.

We sat down with new owners Lizzie and Tommy Hiltz to find out what this transition means for the future of the popular local business.

A longtime Birmingham restaurant brand was recently purchased by a local couple with personal ties to the area.

Crestline Bagel Co., which has three metro area locations and has been serving Birmingham residents for nearly three decades, was purchased by Tommy and Lizzie Hiltz on April 15.

Jennifer and Ralph Yarbrough’s wildly popular bagel haunt in Mountain Brook, launched an equally successful catering business. And just recently, the duo opened its second location in the heart of Cahaba Heights. And if it is anything like its original location, expect lines out the door on Saturday morning!

Sixteen years ago, Jennifer and Ralph Yarbrough would stroll down to their local bagel shop with their Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ace. Jennifer would order Ace his favorite cheese bagel, and as they enjoyed their morning, Jennifer’s imagination would wander. Like any true creative, Jennifer saw the bagel shop not for what it was but for what it could become. Back then, it was a simple business model. It was your ordinary bagel and cream cheese joint — and luckily for Ace, there were cheese bagels, too.