In the past few months, Jacksonville has been waiting to see the debut of PopUp Bagels, the Connecticut-born bagel brand that is “not famous but known” (although it’s safe to say PopUp is getting pretty famous at this point). On December 12, with the debut of PopUp Bagels at 4852 Town Center Parkway, Suite 106, Jacksonville got its first chance to try the celebrated bagels that have won the Brooklyn Bagelfest’s “Best Bagel” designation not once but twice.
“PopUp Bagels started as a backyard pickup window to share a newly created bagel recipe with friends. It’s now grown to multiple popup and permanent locations for always-fresh weekend pickup,” says the brand’s website. “Our goal is simple: to make you the best, freshest bagels. No frills, plainly perfect: crispy crust and soft crumb center, just the right size and with a perfect proportion of seeds.”
No frills is indeed the name of the game. The menu is a streamlined affair with five bagel varieties: Poppy, Salt, Plain, Sesame, and Everything, along with a selection of schmears like Scallion Cream Cheese, Plain Cream Cheese and Salted Butter. The point is tp let the bagels shine by themselves; they’re not just the top and bottom end of a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. As add-ons, you’ll find choices like Whitefish Salad, Smoked Salmon, and Trout Roe.
“And this is just the beginning,” says coverage on Jacksonville.com. “According to franchise owner Kal Gullapalli, CEO of Columbia, S.C.-based MPZ Holdings, the Jacksonville spot is the first of several PopUp Bagels planned for Northeast Florida.”
What Now reached out to Gullapalli this week to ask about plans for the expansion. Gullapalli was not immediately available for comment.
Founded in Connecticut in 2021 by Adam Goldberg as a pop-up (hence, one assumes, the name), PopUp Bagels’ popularity took of quickly. It launched its first brick-and-mortar bagel shop in New York City in 2023, and has been growing quickly ever since.
Check it out on Town Center Parkway in Jacksonville, and expect to find a PopUp Bagels near you soon!
You can keep up with PopUp Bagels news by following @popupbagels on Instagram.
