PopupBagels, an award-winning pop-up concept in the Northeast, recently received investment from a number of prominent investors including Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Michael Strahan.
The funding round was led by Hollywood producer John Davis, who also incubated Blaze Pizza, Wetzel’s Pretzels and Dave’s Hot Chicken. Private equity firm Tastemaker Capital and branding agency Red Antler were also part of the funding round. Angel investors include Paul Appelbaum, co-founder of GrubHub Seamless, veteran portfolio manager Sam Hendel, Matt LaCasse, CEO of pancake mix company Birch Benders, actors Paul Schwarzenegger and Paul Rudd, and athletes JJ and TJ Watt. Strahan invested alongside his business partner, Constance Swartz-Morini.
The company started as a backyard pickup window store early in the pandemic and has grown into multiple pop-up locations in Connecticut and New York City. The bagels will only be sold by the dozen with two schmears ahead of time, which include flavors like Grilled Scallion, Dill Pickle, UTZ Cheeseball, and Chili Crunch Butter. The company has won Best Bagel at the annual Brooklyn Bagelfest two years in a row.
The financial support will be used to grow the PopupBagels business team and prepare for expansion. The brand plans to take advantage of small storefronts and underutilized kitchens throughout the Northeast.
“PopupBagels started as a home cooking project to share my love of baking and a unique bagel recipe with friends,” Adam Goldberg, founder of PopupBagels. “As word spread, customers began clamoring for our bagels and we began to expand our operations. I’m thrilled to have the support of many experienced investors as we prepare to scale up.”
The growing brand was featured in The New York Times, which described the bagels as smaller, fluffier and crispier compared to New York’s typically large bagels, with a dense crumb and obvious chew. One of Goldberg’s reasons for starting PopupBagels was the lack of innovation in the field.
“I think there’s unlimited space for great bagel shops anywhere in any city in America, including New York City,” he told the publication.
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