Minnesota’s food scene is getting a taste of New York as viral bagel chain PopUp Bagels prepares to open its first shop in Minneapolis. The brand has attracted attention for its freshly baked bagels and unusual Grip, Rip and Dip eating style, which skips traditional sandwiches in favor of whole bagels served with separate spreads. Its North Loop debut will also feature a special Old Dutch-inspired schmear created for Minnesota shoppers. Here’s what makes the new location different and what customers can expect when it opens.
PopUp Bagels Is Bringing Its Viral New York Bagel Experience to Minneapolis
Minneapolis is getting a taste of an East Coast bagel sensation as PopUp Bagels prepares to open its first Minnesota location in the city’s North Loop neighborhood. The shop is scheduled to open November 6, 2026, at 107 Third Avenue North, introducing a brand that has attracted considerable attention for its hot, freshly baked bagels and distinctive way of serving them. The business began as a pandemic-era baking hobby in Connecticut in 2020 and gradually developed into a popular chain known for drawing long lines at its locations. Its expansion into Minnesota is being led by childhood friends and Minnesota natives Dan D’Aquisto and Alex Smereczniak, who are bringing their franchising experience to the venture. The partners have secured development rights covering Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and parts of western Wisconsin, giving them the opportunity to introduce the brand across a sizable portion of the Midwest. However, Minneapolis is the immediate priority, with the North Loop location serving as the starting point for the regional expansion. The shop will occupy 107 Third Avenue North, placing it in a neighborhood already known for its restaurants, cafes, and independent food businesses. For local bagel enthusiasts, the opening offers an opportunity to experience a brand that has built its reputation around a deliberately simple product and an unconventional approach to enjoying it.
The Grip, Rip and Dip Method Makes These Bagels Different
PopUp Bagels wants customers to rethink how they eat one of America’s most familiar breakfast foods. Instead of slicing a bagel horizontally, filling it with cream cheese, and eating it as a sandwich, the chain encourages a method it calls Grip, Rip and Dip. The idea is simple: customers receive their bagels hot and whole, tear off individual pieces by hand, and dip them into separate containers of flavored cream cheese or butter. These spreads are known as schmears, and they are an important part of the brand’s identity. The approach changes the experience from eating a conventional bagel sandwich to enjoying freshly baked bread with different dips. It also makes sharing easier, since several people can tear pieces from the same bag and try different schmear combinations. PopUp Bagels has built much of its popularity around this straightforward concept, which has helped distinguish it from traditional bagel shops. The company emphasizes the contrast between a crisp exterior and a soft, chewy interior, textures that customers can experience directly when tearing the bagels apart. Its approach also keeps the bagel itself at the center of the meal rather than treating it simply as a vehicle for sandwich fillings. That simplicity has become a recognizable part of the chain’s identity as it expands into new markets.
A Limited-Time Old Dutch Schmear Gives the Minneapolis Opening a Local Twist
A New York-inspired bagel experience is getting a distinctly Minnesota addition, thanks to a special schmear created for the Minneapolis opening. PopUp Bagels plans to introduce a limited-time spread inspired by Old Dutch Spicy Cheddar & Sour Cream potato chips, giving local customers a familiar regional flavor to try alongside the chain’s freshly baked bagels. Old Dutch is a recognizable snack brand with a longstanding presence in Minnesota, making the collaboration a fitting way to introduce the East Coast chain to its new market. The inspiration comes from the chips’ combination of sharp cheddar, tangy sour cream, and spicy seasoning. Translating those flavors into a cream cheese spread creates an interesting alternative to the more traditional schmears customers might expect at a bagel shop. It also reflects PopUp Bagels’ willingness to experiment with unexpected flavor combinations while keeping its core bagel menu relatively small. The special spread is intended to celebrate the Minneapolis debut rather than become a permanent addition to the menu. That limited availability gives the opening a local identity and offers Minnesota shoppers something they may not find at the chain’s other locations. Customers who enjoy trying unusual combinations will have an opportunity to pair a familiar regional snack flavor with the brand’s signature Grip, Rip and Dip experience.
The Menu Skips Sandwiches, Toasting and Sliced Bagels
Anyone expecting an extensive breakfast menu with customized sandwiches and toasted bagels will find that PopUp Bagels takes a very different approach. The Minneapolis location is expected to stick to the brand’s deliberately short selection of five bagel varieties: everything, poppy seed, sesame, plain, and salt. Customers receive the bagels hot and whole, with no option to have them sliced or toasted. Sandwiches are also absent from the menu, as the company prefers customers to tear their bagels apart and enjoy them with separate schmears. This limited selection is a defining part of the business model, allowing the brand to concentrate on its signature product instead of offering the extensive range of breakfast combinations found at many conventional bagel shops. The North Loop location will operate daily from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. after opening, making it an option for early breakfast stops and lunchtime visits. There will be a few tables where customers can spend time, although the shop will not have formal dine-in seating. An opening celebration is planned for November 6 at 7 a.m., featuring a DJ and Minnesota-themed merchandise, although the date remains subject to change. Beyond Minneapolis, the franchise partners have development rights covering several Midwestern states, but their immediate goal is to establish the first shop successfully before moving ahead with additional locations.
