A bagel shop drawing serious buzz is expanding into the greater Philadelphia area, where it will open its first-ever brick-and-mortar location.
PopUp Bagels, known for its signature “rip and dip” style, will debut in Suburban Square in Ardmore this winter, led by franchise group Seeded Capital.
Seeded Capital formed as a pilot franchisee for PopUp Bagels.
“My partners and I visited the brand as customers first, and we were blown away by the product, the energy and the culture. We loved the simplicity of the business and the quality of the product,” Brian Harrington told What Now Philadelphia.
The bagel shop’s philosophy is simple: bagels and schmears
“It’s hot bagels every four to five minutes right out of the oven. There’s five varieties, everything, poppy, sesame, salt and plain, and then the schmears. We aren’t making sandwiches; there’s no egg. It’s really all about the bagels, which are the best bagels on the planet,” Harrington said.
The Ardmore location will mirror other PopUp Bagels outposts, operating as a takeout-only shop in a roughly 1,200-to 1,300-square-foot space. It will be located near SoulCycle, Drybar and Shake Shack.
“We’re excited about the positioning within the shopping center. It’s a great location. Around us is the communal area with the fire pit and seating area. It’ll be a traditional unit, small and intimate, lots of energy, lots of fun,” he said.
In December, the team hosted a one-day pop-up at DiBruno Bros. in the city.
“The reaction was incredible. Tons of people tried our product and it was really well received, so I think that Philly is going to be a great market for us. We can’t wait to get rolling in Philly,” he said.
Harrington said he and his team are also “starting to dial in on Center City.” In 2025, the franchise group opened three units in the Boston area and is now expanding to Washington, D.C., as well as Philadelphia.
Seeded Capital plans to open PopUp Bagels by late February or early March. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or visit the website for the latest updates.
