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Even though Cambridge newcomer PopUp Bagels just opened in Harvard Square last Friday, students and Cambridge residents already see the store as a “staple” of the Square.
“They literally have a Harvard 2029 pennant hanging,” Taylor P. Beljon-Regen ’29 said. “I feel like it’s very integrated into the community already.”
The chain celebrated its grand opening to a welcoming crowd — after seven months of anticipation — when workers opened their doors early Friday morning. Customers streamed in and out of their 1440 Massachusetts Ave. storefront as a DJ blasted music from inside the store.
“We were listening to good music, and it was just delicious,” said Kimaya Bhangle, a resident of the suburbs of Cambridge who visited just for PopUp’s opening day.
Harvard Square is already home to multiple bagel stores, but PopUp differentiates itself through its sales model. Customers purchase bagels in packs of three, six, or 12 with accompanying tubs of schmear — but cannot purchase a traditional bagel sandwich.
“It’s definitely a good option, especially since it’s not filled with a lot of things,” Emily C. Stringer ’29 said. “It’s not a competitor for people who want a bagel sandwich as a meal, but for people who want just a bagel.”
Students also said the unique business model encouraged snacking and sharing.
“The bagels are smaller, but they sell them in three packs, which I think is great to have as a snack,” Beljon-Regen said. “I gave them to my roommates. I think it gave us a lot of community,” she added.
PopUp offers five bagel types and three schmears. The store also features two weekly schmears which change every Thursday.
“I see myself especially going back if they have good schmears of the week,” Stringer said.
But bagels were not the only thing on the menu during Friday’s grand opening. Store employees also distributed merchandise with the store’s motto, “Not Famous But Known,” at random moments from the early morning opening until PopUp’s 3:00 p.m. closing .
The bagel franchise got its start in Brooklyn, New York in 2020, and has quickly expanded in the five years since it opened. Now, the franchise operates 15 locations in New York, Connecticut, Florida, and Massachusetts.
“I loved it in New York, and it’s even better in Boston,” Sofiya Iovenko ’29 said. “It’s more of a community feel.”
Despite its national presence, students and residents said they appreciated the franchise’s attention to regional culture in the store’s first Cambridge location.
“It felt like I was walking home,” Nell A. Sparks ’29 said. “The music, people outside were very welcoming, very inviting.”
Beljon-Regen added that she looks forward to grabbing a bagel on a “sad Monday morning,” since the storefront is only a one-minute walk from her dorm.
“It feels like it’s going to be a staple in the neighborhood for years to come,” she added.
