A Connecticut-born bagel chain known for its no-slicing, no-cream-cheese-knife philosophy is setting up shop in Cherry Creek. PopUp Bagels has leased space in the Oasis Apartments building nearing completion at 299 Milwaukee St., putting it in the same retail lineup as furniture giant Arhaus, the cafe Two Hands and luxury real estate brokerage milehimodern.
The company, which serves whole, unsliced bagels meant to be torn apart and dipped into butter and cream cheese schmears, was founded by Adam Goldberg, according to The Denver Post. Goldberg started baking bagels during the pandemic and began selling them within months, before eventually pioneering the “grip, rip and dip” eating method, per BusinessDen.
Warm bagels are baked throughout the day at PopUp Bagels shops, the Post's report notes, and served in packs with classic and flavored cream cheese spreads — plus, at times, a limited-time Papa Johns garlic butter option. The chain actively encourages customers to skip the sliced-bagel-and-cream-cheese-knife routine in favor of ripping pieces off and dunking them directly into the spread.
A Denver Debut With a Boulder Twist
Colorado is getting more than one PopUp Bagels at once, and the sourcing on which shop counts as first is murky. BusinessDen reports the Cherry Creek location will join a Boulder shop as PopUp Bagels' first in Colorado, while a separate report from Gibbons White states that Colorado's first PopUp Bagels will instead open inside the Moxy Hotel in Boulder, alongside Aviano Coffee, Mister Oso and Summit Pilates. Notably, Boulder's Moxy Hotel was itself developed and is owned by BMC Investments — the same firm developing the Oasis building in Cherry Creek — according to the Post.
The Post's report attributes the pairing of the two Colorado locations to a broker's suggestion and a subsequent call with PopUp Bagels. BMC Investments CEO Matt Joblon, in comments to BusinessDen, said the appetite for the concept in Cherry Creek runs deep: “There's just massive demand in Cherry Creek for more cost-effective breakfast and lunch options.”
How the Retail Puzzle Came Together
PopUp Bagels' arrival wasn't the original plan for that corner of the Oasis. Per the Post, BMC Investments was originally in talks with Two Hands for roughly 5,000 square feet of space, but Two Hands ultimately decided to lease 3,400 square feet instead. Joblon told the outlet that shift “left us this small space” — the opening PopUp Bagels ultimately filled.
Just how big that overall retail footprint is depends on which account you read. CCD Mag reported the Oasis comprises 26,000 square feet of ground-level retail. Arhaus is set to anchor that space with roughly 18,000 square feet, according to the outlet, and the development itself — a partnership between BMC Investments and Rockpoint — will include 177 apartments once complete at 299 Milwaukee St. in the heart of Cherry Creek North.
Bigger Ambitions Beyond One Denver Storefront
Just how many PopUp Bagels locations exist nationally is another point of disagreement across the available reporting. The Post's report puts the current count at 51 stores, while Baking Business has described the chain as having 14 primarily company-owned and operated locations, and NJBIZ reported the footprint had roughly doubled to about 30 locations since PopUp Bagels launched a franchise program in 2024. Whatever the exact number, the company plans to keep opening more stores, per the Post.
The expansion appetite tracks with moves elsewhere. NJBIZ reported a goal of 100 stores by the end of the following year. NJBIZ separately reported plans for at least 25 New Jersey locations through franchisee Just Pop, with a debut site slated for downtown Westfield near the NJ Transit station. Eater New York also reported the chain was adding three Manhattan locations and its first Brooklyn shop.
Back in Denver, the Oasis retail spaces — including whichever storefront ends up serving PopUp Bagels' warm, whole bagels to Cherry Creek — are expected to open in phases, with the first tenants arriving in the first quarter of 2027 and more rolling out throughout the year, according to CCD Mag.
