The lifecycle of a TikTok viral food spot is usually short-lived and familiar to us all, especially in NYC. People flock to the establishment and wait in extensive lines just to see if it’s worth the hype. And, eventually, after the buzz dies down, the once-viral spot becomes old news.
However, PopUp Bagels has outlived the brief window of TikTok fame and remains one of New York’s most talked-about bagel spots, even after its initial widespread social media popularity.
Now, from June 12 to June 18, PopUp Bagels is teaming up with The New York Post to create a schmear that captures the essence of New York, the Big Apple! The Big Apple Schmear will bring your childhood favorite caramel apple flavor into a sweet cream cheese spread that will pair perfectly with a hot bagel from PopUp Bagels.
After grabbing a bagel at any of the PopUp Bagels locations, finish out your New York moment with a souvenir from our Bodega Breakfast collection and wear your schmear on your heart.
Since its first NYC location opened in April 2023, PopUp Bagels has served no frill bagels with a crispy crust and soft crumb center. Their bagels are served hot with schmears that you’re encouraged to “grip, right and dip” and enjoy right on the street or on the go.
The bagel spot has become so beloved that it has secured investors from celebrities like Paul Rudd, Michael Strahan, Michael Phelps, Donald Glover and many others.
Although founder Adam Goldberg created this popular bagel in his Connecticut home during the COVID-19 pandemic and opened the first permanent location in Connecticut, these bagels can hold their own among the abundance of top-tier New York bagels.
But what sets PopUp Bagels apart from a viral coffee shop that sells tiramisu lattes or a bakery with a limited stock of decadently filled croissants, aside from their delicious bagels and unique take on a New York classic?
They are constantly evolving.
Most of these food spots that gain popularity on TikTok blow up because of their specialty item but often fail to update and evolve their offerings, at least not to the extent that PopUp Bagels does.
Along with their typical spreads, or schmears — which consist of cream cheese, scallion cream and a plant-based cream cheese from Montys — the bagel shop launches two limited-time schmears of the week consisting of one specialty butter and cream cheese.
They have also debuted adventurous schmear collaborations like a garlicky escargot schmear with renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel, a UTZ Cheese Ball cream cheese, Frank’s Red Hot Butter and many more.
These unique and wacky schmear collaborations have bagel enthusiasts forming lines down the block, even one year after their initial social media success.
The stores are small, but the energy is palpable. With loud music playing and employees yelling out, “Hot bagels!” every time a new batch comes out of the oven, each PopUp Bagels location feels like a party, filled with an overwhelming aroma of fresh-out-the-oven bagels.
PopUp Bagels currently has six permanent locations with more on the way including a store in New York’s Upper East Side at 1457 Third Avenue.
