PopUp Bagels, the fast-growing bagel brand known for its “Not Famous but Known” tagline, has found its first location in San Diego County at 637 Pearl Street in La Jolla.
The company’s first area location will open in the former Breakfast Republic space, according to documents submitted to the San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality. The restaurant, which closed in March, was located at a busy, signalized corner near several high-traffic restaurants. The space includes a 1,840-square-foot interior with a newly renovated kitchen, as well as an 800-square-foot outdoor patio. It’s unclear when this location will open.
This will be the first PopUp Bagels location operated by franchisees Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall, who signed a deal earlier this year to open 10 locations across San Diego County, as previously reported by What Now San Diego. The duo, operating as The Bagel Boyz, plans to open the rest over the next few years.
PopUp Bagels has been expanding across Southern California through local franchise partnerships. The brand also has plans for 25 locations in Los Angeles and Orange County through a separate agreement with James Marzouk of Sweetzer Capital.
The company is led by CEO Tory Bartlett, who joined PopUp Bagels with experience at other restaurant and franchise brands, including Moe’s Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky’s. Under his leadership, the company is focusing on working with local operators and choosing high-visibility locations to drive its national expansion strategy.”
Working with local partners helps you pick good locations and reduces the liability of opening up in the wrong spot,” Bartlett tells CO. “It provides the brand with a high chance of being successful right from day one as we enter new markets.”
PopUp Bagels specializes in fresh, hot bagels served with rotating weekly schmears, promoting a simple experience built around its “Grip, Rip, and Dip” concept.
