PopUp Bagels has eight company-owned stores and plans to open more corporate and franchised locations along the East Coast.
In just a few years, PopUp Bagels grew from founder Adam Goldberg’s pandemic hobby to eight company-owned locations.
The brand is now franchising under a new CEO, Tory Bartlett, the former chief brand officer of Moe’s Southwest Grill. PopUp’s new hire and the closure of its Series B fund make for the right time for the company to start franchising.
“Tory has a proven track record doing this for many years,” Goldberg said. “Once we met him, we knew that this was a perfect match for us to be the person that leads us through that transition.”
Bartlett admired the concept’s simple business model that focuses on high-quality products. While some bagel franchises expand its menu to be more of a deli concept, PopUp is sticking to what it does best: bagels and cream cheese.
“A lot of people out there are looking to diversify their portfolio with something unique but special,” Bartlett said. “Adam has really brought bagels to the forefront of the industry. … This brand is actually introducing bagels to people that have never tried bagels before.”
When Goldberg started PopUp Bagels, it was an endeavor out of his own kitchen.
Tory Bartlett, CEO of PopUp Bagels
He wasn’t familiar with the bagel-making process prior. He’s a musician, used to playing on stage for a crowd—something much harder to do with pandemic regulations.
“The closest thing I can find to people listening to me sing was making bagels and watching with smiles on their faces at they ate them,” Goldberg said. “It was a mix of trial and error and having a lot of free time.”
His customers kept coming back for more.
The PopUp team is looking to expand along the East Coast for now. Its existing stores are in the northeastern United States and PopUp is opening more in southern Florida. The rest, Bartlett said, will be franchised.
Adam Goldberg, founder of PopUp Bagels
“The brand has high energy, a quality product and it produces a great revenue. Every franchisee is looking for those three things,” Bartlett said.
PopUp has a Boston franchisee with a store about to open in a few weeks and he has leases signed for another two.
Once the brand is established in the eastern United States, Bartlett said it’ll move west.
The perfect franchisee is someone who knows the area they’re opening a PopUp in, Bartlett said. The team is searching for hands-on operators who ideally have franchising experience.
Looking into next year, Bartlett expects to open 15 to 20 more locations. Finding real estate is easier because the brand requires a small footprint and gas isn’t necessary in stores. Staffing PopUp units is less of a challenge than other restaurants, too, because stores are open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and only a few employees are needed at any given time.
“That’s a huge benefit to franchisees when they go to open the stores,” Goldberg said.