PopUp Bagels, the rapidly expanding Connecticut-born bagel company that has transformed from a backyard pandemic project into a heavily financed national growth brand, is working toward opening a new location in San Diego's North Park neighborhood, according to newly filed public records.
Documents submitted to the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality indicate plans for a PopUp Bagels at 3727 30th Street, a newly constructed retail space within the Amani mixed-use affordable housing development at the corner of 30th and Gunn Street. The approximately 911-square-foot commercial space sits beneath an eight-story building containing 78 affordable residential units and was designed for restaurant or café use.
If approved, the location would mark the company's third San Diego County outpost, joining existing shops in La Jolla and Oceanside, both operated by local franchise partners Paul Goodman and Griffin Thall, collectively known as The Bagel Boyz. The duo has previously outlined ambitions to expand PopUp Bagels throughout the region.
But North Park is hardly an untapped bagel market. The proposed PopUp sits less than a mile from Marigold Bagels, the independently owned El Cajon Boulevard bakery that has quickly become one of San Diego's most celebrated homegrown bagel businesses. Since opening in late 2025, Marigold has developed a devoted following for its naturally fermented bagels, inventive seasonal sandwiches and meticulous small-batch approach, routinely drawing lines of customers.
Even closer is Nomad Donuts, located roughly three-tenths of a mile from the proposed PopUp. Although perhaps best known for its doughnuts, the longtime independent shop has also developed a following for Montreal-style bagels and bagel sandwiches.
That makes PopUp's entrance into North Park something of a culinary David-versus-Goliath matchup. Marigold and Nomad are independent San Diego businesses operating on a comparatively small scale. PopUp, despite retaining the intentionally casual image of its backyard beginnings, now has a financial arsenal more commonly associated with an emerging national restaurant powerhouse.
Founded by Adam Goldberg in Westport, Connecticut, during the pandemic, PopUp initially gained attention through pop-ups and its unconventional "Grip, Rip and Dip" approach: serving hot, whole bagels alongside tubs of cream cheese rather than building traditional sliced bagel sandwiches.
The concept subsequently attracted an unusually prominent collection of investors. Hollywood producer John Davis, whose restaurant investments have included Blaze Pizza and Dave's Hot Chicken, led an early investment round, while PopUp's celebrity backers have included actor Paul Rudd, Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, NFL stars J.J. Watt and T.J. Watt, and actor and entrepreneur Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Institutional money followed. Growth-equity firm Stripes led an $8 million investment in PopUp in 2023 as the company prepared for aggressive expansion, with additional capital subsequently coming from major investors including Tiger Global Management.
The company's valuation has since skyrocketed. Bloomberg reported earlier this year that Tiger Global backed PopUp Bagels at a valuation of approximately $300 million, illustrating just how far the business has traveled from Goldberg handing out bagels from his Connecticut backyard. Stripes remained the company's largest investor, according to the report.
The contrast with its prospective North Park neighbors is significant. Marigold emphasizes fermentation, small-batch production and an evolving menu of sandwiches and specialty offerings. Nomad has its own distinctive Montreal-style approach. PopUp has developed a highly replicable, streamlined model centered on hot bagels, limited varieties and rotating schmears that is now being deployed across markets around the country.
And North Park may not be the only San Diego neighborhood where that David-versus-Goliath dynamic is about to play out. SanDiegoVille has learned that PopUp Bagels is also believed to be planning a location along Coast Highway in Encinitas, potentially near Philz Coffee and not far from independently owned New Wave Bagels.
A source familiar with the project told SanDiegoVille indicated that PopUp had secured a lease for a former brewpub space near Philz Coffee in Encinitas. The former Encinitas Ale House space has been identified as one possibility, as has the longtime Modern Times Far West Lounge location, although SanDiegoVille has not independently confirmed the precise location and has not yet located public filings establishing the address.
If confirmed, the Encinitas project would create another strikingly similar competitive landscape. New Wave is a small, independently owned North County business, while its prospective new neighbor would arrive backed by celebrity investors, institutional capital and a reported nine-figure valuation.
The strategy would not be unprecedented for PopUp. In Atlanta, the company selected a location immediately adjacent to locally owned Emerald City Bagels. Asked about opening next to an established independent competitor, PopUp CEO Tory Bartlett told Atlanta Magazine the company respects businesses making quality bagels but believes PopUp differentiates itself through its operational discipline, culture, hot-bagel model and rotating schmears.
PopUp's rapid San Diego expansion also reflects the remarkable transformation of the region's bagel scene. Once frequently criticized for lacking the breadth of bagel culture found in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Montreal, San Diego now has an increasingly competitive collection of independent bakeries producing distinct styles of the breakfast staple.
The arrival of a well-capitalized national player introduces another dimension to that evolution. None of the businesses offer precisely the same product, and proximity does not necessarily mean they are pursuing identical customers. But the geography and disparity in resources make comparisons inevitable. PopUp Bagels is no longer simply a quirky East Coast newcomer bringing its viral bagels west. It is an aggressively expanding company backed by major investment firms and celebrities and reportedly valued at roughly $300 million.
In North Park - and potentially soon in Encinitas - that Goliath will be setting up shop within walking distance of independent San Diego businesses that helped cultivate the local appetite for handcrafted bagels in the first place.
PopUp Bagels currently operates San Diego County locations in La Jolla and Oceanside. Its proposed North Park location would be at 3727 30th Street. For more information, visit popupbagels.com.
Originally published on August 7, 2026. Updated August 9, 2026, with additional reporting regarding PopUp Bagels' expansion, financing, nearby competitors and a possible Encinitas location. Information regarding the North Park filing was first reported by Joey Reams of WhatNow.