After nearly four decades, a changing of the guard is taking place at Herman’s Bakery, which has been a staple of downtown Cambridge since it opened in 1980.
Founders Lois and Herman Oestreich have sold the business to Ayman Samie, an Egyptian businessman with a passion for mom-and-pop eateries.
The decision to sell the bakery did not come easily. The Oestreiches are around retirement age, and they began looking into a sale a year or two ago, waiting for the right person to come along.
“We questioned it at first because he wasn’t a baker,” Lois Oestreich said, “But he’s a business man.”
Oestreich believes a business person is what the bakery needs at this time.
“It’s a lot different now to have a small business than it was in 1980,” she said.
The Oestreiches became convinced Samie was the right fit to own Herman’s after he invited them to come to Milda’s, the cafe he owns in Minneapolis, which has been running since 1965.
“That’s what turned our heads,” Oestreich said. “He really showed Herm and I a lot of respect, and that meant a lot to us.”
Lois and Herman Oestreich started Herman’s Bakery in 1980. Opening the bakery was the realization of a dream for them.
“Herm always wanted to be a baker,” Lois Oestreich said. “He went to school in Dunwoody to be a baker. His grandfather was a baker.”
They are selling the place after decades in Cambridge’s downtown. They and their employees know many of their regular customers on a first-name basis.
“That part will be missed,” Oestreich said. “We probably won’t know how to act,” she added, once she and her husband don’t need to go to the bakery every day.
Samie, for his part, hopes to maintain the friendly atmosphere Herman’s has perfected as he takes the reins at the bakery.
“I just want people to know that we’re not changing anything,” Samie said. He intends to make sure Herman’s Bakery stays in Cambridge and provides the same small-town bakery and deli experience it always has.
He said customers may see a few new items. They will also continue to see Herman and Lois working in the bakery; although the couple are cutting back, they will be helping out as Samie gets his feet under him as owner, and continuing to work part time.
Samie gave his reason for moving to the U.S. from Egypt in two words: “American Dream,” he said. He has owned a number of ventures during his career, including a few rental properties, restaurants, a diner in Chaska and a truck stop.
Small town diners, delis and other types of businesses helped fill in the details of Samie’s American Dream when he was young.
“It is the picture I had in my mind of America when I used to watch movies,” he said.
Samie was attracted to Herman’s partly for its history and its reputation within its community. He loves the distinctive way mom-and-pop establishments contribute to the fabric of their communities.
“I’m always in love with old diners and cafes and bakeries,” Samie said. “They have characters, they have history, and that should be respected.”
He added good diners, cafes and coffee shops make their customers feel special, and those customers, in turn, make their owners feel appreciated.
Lois Oestreich echoed the importance of the customer to the success of Herman’s over the years.
“I have to say our customers have been our booster,” she said. “They have really been a good support system for us.”
Herman’s Bakery is located at 130 S. Main St. in Cambridge.