Is PopUp Bagels Worth the Hype?: Reviewing New York’s Latest Bagel Craze

PopUp Bagels is the latest and (allegedly) greatest New York City bagel shop. In a city with arguably the most robust bagel scene in the world, it takes something stupendous to cause a splash (or shall I say schmear) amongst New York foodies. What does PopUp Bagels bring to the table that elicits lines down the block and rabid fans?

The answer is surprisingly simple: fresh bagels straight from the oven for every single order.

(Curious about the origin of the New York bagel? Click here to find out!)

The Backstory

PopUp Bagels is one of the many COVID success stories. Adam Goldberg, founder and CEO, used to be a flood mitigation specialist. During lockdown, he started experimenting with bagel baking, and they turned out quite well. So well that he began selling them as a pop-up business in his hometown of Westport, Connecticut. Word spread and sales boomed, leading to Goldberg opening more locales around Connecticut and into Manhattan.

People have gone utterly feral for these bagels, and now there are 7 permanent PopUp Bagels locales. Goldberg plans on doubling that by the end of 2024. Sounds like a franchise in the making if you ask me!

But is Popup Bagels worth the hype? I went to find out.

The success of PopUp Bagels starts with the business model.

There are only 5 types of bagels, 3 types of cream cheeses, and a minimum type of order you can make: one bag of 3 bagels with a 10oz tub of schmear on the side. No bacon, egg, and cheeses here folks. Bagel with schmear only! You can, however, get an extra tub of schemer for $7. And of course merch with their tagline “not famous, but known.”

An employee waits at the front of the line with a pile of brown bags and sharpie at the ready. They check off the types of bagels you want and scribble down the schmear order. Then ,you hand over said bag to the cashier to pay and wait for an exciting countdown of “3,2,1 HOT BAGELLLLLS”.

Everyone cheers as the bagels are pulled out the oven and put into the bags.

6 Reasons Why PopUp Bagels Works

1. Everyone who walks in is spending at least $12. (Although my one gripe is that it would be nice to have the option of getting just one bagel with schmear. A bag of 3 isn’t ideal for solos.)
2. Turn over rate is high because staff simply have to toss the bagels in a bag and hand over the tubs of schmear. The workers don’t have to fuss about with frying up eggs, toasting bagels, and accommodating Karen’s triple egg white with 1/2 an avocado and no salt salt bagel order that slows down output.
3. The product is simple, but the concept in unique. Meaning it’s easy to convince people to give it a try.
4. The meat of the business, which are the bagels, stays the same. But the garnishes, which are the schmears, change. The weekly rotation of new and exciting schmears is what keeps people coming back for more. Some flavors in the past that I’m personally devastated I missed include Brown Butter Cinnamon, Blueberry Pancake Cinnamon Roll, and Cannoli Cream Cheese.
5. Often, theses special schmears are in collaboration with other loved brands like Cup of Noodles, Old Bay, Poppi, and Fruit Loops. (If there ever do a collab with Cinnamon Toast Crunch I’ll be able to die happy.)
6. Any baked good that’s straight out of the oven is going to be delicious.

But are the bagels actually good?!

Fresh bagels are absurdly delicious. Of course these bagels are amazing…. to start. The exterior has a nice crisp, and the interior is soft and steaming. The seasoning on the everything bagel had the perfect amount of salt and just enough garlic that it had my brain toying with the thought, “Is this the best everything bagel I’ve ever had?!”

However, once the bagels start to cool, they lose their magic. The texture gets a little bit too bready with not enough chew, and they tumble into the realm of “average”. Then again, I’d never eat a cold bowl of Pad Thai and complain that it’s bad because I know I’m not eating it in it’s intended form. The same could be argued about these bagels. They are meant to be eaten hot and fresh.

Now let’s talk schmears. We tried the plain as well as the special Big Apple Schmear. The plain was exactly what you’d expect from a plain cream cheese. The Big Apple Schmear was something special. It was totally loaded with apple chunks and caramel. It had just enough freshness to cool down the sweetness with a nice crunch a heavy handed dash of nostalgia.

So is PopUp Bagels worth the hype?!

I think it is! And, more importantly, I think it’s a #trend that has staying power. Bagels will never be out of style, and the unique cream cheese collaborations is the competitive advantage that’ll have people choosing PopUp Bagels over the Pick-A-Bagel up the block.

I suspect PopUp Bagels will start popping up everywhere. Keep an eye out for one near you!