PopUp Bagels, a Connecticut chain with a cult following, opens its first Florida store in Tampa this weekend.
The store opens Friday, Sept. 5 at the old McNatt’s Cleaners at 4528 W Kennedy Blvd.
The brand’s mantra, “not famous but known,” reflects the underground buzz that propelled it from a humble backyard project in Connecticut to a Northeastern staple that won “Best Bagel” at Brooklyn BagelFest two years in a row.
The shop serves its bagels whole, not cut, alongside 6-oz. tubs of cream cheese made for dipping. Bagel flavors at other shops include plain, salt, poppy seed, and everything, with occasional seasonal offerings. Plain and scallion schmears are always available alongside schmears of the week.
The chain features 14 stores across Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Over the summer, PopUp Bagels shared plans to open 300 franchise locations across the U.S. According to a press release, other states eyed in the expansion include Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, California and more.
Local franchise owner Kal Gullapalli added that he hopes to open a PopUp Bagels in Orlando this year, too.
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This article appears in Sept. 4-10, 2025.