PopUp Bagels is bringing its viral grab-and-go concept to Bergen County for the first time, with plans to open a shop at 6-8 Washington Street in Tenafly this fall. The company has listed October 2 as the opening date on its website, though a company representative told the outlet that the date remains unconfirmed, and PopUp Bagels says it will announce the official opening soon.
The Tenafly debut, first reported by Boozy Burbs, comes with a local twist: PopUp Bagels is teaming up with chef and restaurateur Josh Capon, who will debut a carrot cake schmear during the opening celebration. The spread will be available only for a limited time while supplies last, according to the same report. Capon told the outlet he is “beyond excited” for PopUp Bagels to open in Tenafly, and called the carrot cake schmear “fun, a little nostalgic, and ridiculously delicious.”
A Chef With Deep Bergen County Ties
Capon isn't a stranger to the area. The chef is behind Capon's Burgers, Capon's Chophouse, Little Maven and the members-only Flyfish Club in New York City, per the Boozy Burbs report. Capon's Burgers opened its first New Jersey location at Bergen Town Center, and that Paramus debut arrived in August 2026, according to New Jersey 101.5. Capon has built a national reputation over decades in the industry, having won the People's Choice Award eight times at the New York City Wine & Food Festival's Burger Bash and co-founded NYC staples Lure Fishbar and Bowery Meat Company, according to his own website. He also co-founded the hospitality venture VCR Group in 2021 alongside entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, per Wikipedia, a partnership that has since spun out multi-city dining concepts beyond the Flyfish Club.
PopUp Bagels has already tested the waters in North Jersey. The chain has held previous pop-ups in Tenafly and Midland Park, per the Boozy Burbs report, laying informal groundwork before committing to a permanent Bergen County storefront. The Tenafly location is part of a broader push, with PopUp Bagels planning to expand throughout New Jersey.
A Brand Riding Venture Capital and Celebrity Buzz
The Tenafly opening lands amid a much larger financial story. Venture capital firm Tiger Global Management invested in PopUp Bagels in April 2026 at a $300 million valuation, according to Wikipedia, money meant to help finance plans to expand the brand to up to 300 locations nationwide. That backing followed earlier funding rounds that drew a roster of celebrity investors, including actor Paul Rudd, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, television host Michael Strahan and NFL star J.J. Watt, as reported by Nation's Restaurant News.
The New Jersey rollout itself began taking shape in May 2026, when PopUp Bagels announced a partnership with restaurant operator Just Pop to open more than 25 locations across the state, according to a release distributed via GlobeNewswire. The brand's official New Jersey brick-and-mortar debut came on July 10, 2026, at 220 South Avenue West in downtown Westfield, a 1,500-square-foot storefront steps from a commuter train station, per Levin Management. For founder Adam Goldberg, who grew up in Livingston and Short Hills before launching the brand out of a backyard window in Westport, Connecticut, in 2020, the Garden State push carries a personal dimension, according to YeahThatsKosher.
Grab-and-Go Model Meets an Entrenched Bagel Culture
PopUp Bagels operates on a deliberately stripped-down model: stores run 1,000 to 1,200 square feet with 10 to 15 staff members, and the chain refuses to sell sliced bagels, toasted bagels or breakfast sandwiches, according to a Substack analysis of the company's operations. Instead, the brand sells five core bagel flavors whole in multi-bag packs alongside rotating whipped spreads, a format built for speed rather than the customized breakfast sandwiches that define much of the region's dining habits.
That approach will be tested against a fiercely loyal local bagel scene. Neighboring Teaneck is home to Teaneck Road Hot Bagels, which was ranked among the top 50 bagel shops in the United States by Food & Wine magazine in 2021, according to a report referencing NJ.com coverage. Whether Bergen County shoppers embrace PopUp's whole-bagel, dip-focused format the way other markets have remains to be seen, but the Tenafly opening marks the brand's first real test in a county where bagel loyalties run deep.
PopUp Bagels has been expanding at a rapid clip well beyond New Jersey this year, with recent moves into Denver's Cherry Creek neighborhood, Raleigh's Village District, Birmingham, Michigan and Woodmere, Ohio. The Tenafly shop would give the chain its first foothold specifically in Bergen County, adding another data point to a nationwide expansion strategy that shows little sign of slowing down.
