PopUp Bagels opens first Northeast Ohio location in Woodmere

EntertainmentPopUp Bagels, founded in 2020, has expanded to Northeast Ohio with its first Woodmere location at Eton Chagrin Boulevard.Alex DarusWOODMERE, Ohio — PopUp Bagels is now open at Eton Chagrin Boulevard, bringing its whole, hot bagels and rotating lineup of schmears to Northeast Ohio for the first time.The shop opened Friday, Oct. 23, at 28899 Chagrin Boulevard in a storefront previously occupied by Bravo! Cucina Italiana. Customers began lining up at 4 a.m. ahead of the 6:30 a.m. debut, with the line reaching the street at one point during a grand-opening celebration that included a DJ.“When you walk into a PopUp Bagels, the energy is super high and exciting,” Kal Gullapalli, the owner of the local PopUp Bagels location, said.The brand, which was founded in 2020 in Westport, Connecticut, is known for its “rip and dip” style — bagels are served whole rather than sliced, alongside tubs of cream cheese or butter for dipping. Bagels are sold by the bag, with a minimum of three per order. The shop does not serve sandwiches.Plans for the Eton location were first reported in August, before an opening date was announced.Gullapalli, the CEO of Built Different Brands, which operates the local franchise, said serving hot bagels is central to the concept. Everything is baked in-house.“Every eight minutes we’re cooking a fresh new batch,” Gullapalli said.A line early on Friday morning for PopUp Bagels' Ohio debut.Alex DarusThat steady production also helps keep the line moving, he said.“People are going to get through that line pretty quickly because we are constantly getting bagels fresh and getting our guests in and out the door,” he said.Gullapalli and his wife, Krishna, also operate PopUp Bagels locations in Florida, with more openings planned in other states. The couple works in franchising, but their interest in the bagel brand started with a friend’s recommendation.Gullapalli, who previously lived in New York and now lives in Florida, visited the Thompson Street location in Manhattan.“I was blown away,” he said. “There’s four bagel shops every two blocks in Manhattan. And PopUp seemed to figure out a way to really take market share in a region that is kind of the bagel capital of the world.”The couple and the friend went into business together on PopUp Bagels and asked the brand about available territories. Ohio was among the options.The Gullapallis already had a family connection to the Cleveland area. Krishna is from the Orange area, and Gullapalli had become familiar with Eton during visits over the years. A market tour helped confirm the shopping center as a fit for the brand, he said, pointing to its tenant mix and upgrades.“I remember Eton just being like such a destination,” Gullapalli said. “This was 20 years ago and I mean, look at it now.”The Woodmere shop opened with a cassata cake schmear as a nod to Cleveland. It is part of a rotating selection of limited-time spreads that change every two weeks.Brown sugar cinnamon butter, scallion schmear, strawberry cassata cake schmear and plain schmear from PopUp Bagels.Alex DarusPopUp Bagels’ classic menu includes plain and scallion cream cheese, salted butter and brown sugar cinnamon butter. Other schmear flavors have included banana bread, hot honey butter, dirty martini and matcha.“We have some of the best schmears possible and they’re rotating,” Gullapalli said.The brand has collaborated with Grillo’s Pickles and “Dancing with the Stars,” among others. Gullapalli said he also wants to work with local brands and businesses and become part of the community.“There’s a whole calendar of schmears to come,” he said.PopUp Bagels at Eton is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Alex is a food and culture writer on cleveland.com's life and culture team, primarily covering restaurants, bars, spirits, beer, wine, entertainment, and cooking. She's interviewed notable chefs both local and...