LA JOLLA – PopUp Bagels, an East Coast bagel concept that started as a backyard pickup window, has made its way across the continent.
The company opened its first California location in November at 637 Pearl St., in the 1,650-square-foot former Breakfast Republic space. The La Jolla shop represents the official start of PopUp Bagels’ 35-store regional expansion planned across the state.
The brand has developed a cult following for its minimalist model: no sandwiches, no toasting, and no slicing, just fresh, whole bagels designed to be torn by hand and dunked into rotating schmears.
The arrival of PopUp Bagel appears to be part of a growing bagel obsession in San Diego, with competitors like Marigold Bagels, Brooklyn import H&H Bagels, and multiple independent bakeries expanding countywide.
San Diego PopUp Bagels franchise partners Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall are known locally as “The Bagel Boyz.” The SDSU grads, who have been friends since high school, founded Pura Vida after a surfing trip to Costa Rica, selling colorful braided bracelets in 2010 which has since evolved into a million-dollar enterprise.
Thall spoke of entering into the local bagel market in a big way with major expansion plans.
“We were in the Pure Vida bracelet business for about nine years, then sold it, staying on for another 4 ½ years,” he said. “We opened PopUp Bagels two weeks ago and now plan to open 10 stores over five years, with a new store opening every six months.”
PopUp Bagels has earned acclaim from bagel lovers and industry experts alike after it was co-founded in 2020 by Adam Goldberg and Jeff Lewis in Westport, Connecticut. A year ago, Thall and Goodman met with Goldberg and his staff, who were impressed with their marketing background, noting that their signing on to the brand would be an “ideal partnership.”
Thall added, “It was good timing because Paul and I wanted to get involved in something new.”
Thall said reaction to their new bagel concept is promising, noting bagels lend themselves to a fast-casual environment, which is part of PopUp’s business model.
“People want a bagel they can grab and take with them,” Thall said, noting that, since opening, “There has been a line out the door most of the day, which has been really nice.”
