PopUp Bagels, has posted coming-soon signage across its future storefront in the ground floor of the Solaire 7607 Old Georgetown apartment tower at 7607 Old Georgetown Road in downtown Bethesda. The upstart New York bagel chain has made its social media virality central to its branding and marketing. Construction is now getting underway on the shop, a refreshing change from the many banks typically opening around town in recent times. Hot and fresh bagels with a rotating selection of schmears - and a required minimum order - are the focus at PopUp Bagels, not bagel sandwiches, nor non-bagel menu items.
Absolutely zero parking but this is an interesting addition and looks darn tasty. Call Your Mother I guess would classify as a bagel joint. I don't understand the line that frequently forms outside Bethesda Bagel like today. Lots of Christmas shoppers though. Bottom line, I think Pop Up and Call Your Mother are leaps and bounds better than BB.
ReplyDeleteThere is an abundance of parking downtown Bethesda
Delete1:44 - Not anywhere close to this place there isn't.
DeleteStreet parking all around the area. Several parking decks in the Woodmont Triangle. Or just walk. Tons of folks live in dense high-rise apartment buildings and condos in the area. If JAC can’t park in a large free surface parking lot, directly adjacent to his destination, it automatically is deemed to be doomed. Downtown Bethesda is one of the most pedestrian friendly, walkable neighborhoods in the country. About 200 restaurants and 500 shops within a compact one square mile area. The retail density of downtown Bethesda exceeds many NYC neighborhoods.
DeleteThere's literally a 900+ space MCDOT parking garage across the street. Garage 49.
DeleteWhat might be the cause of such a bagel glut? Bethesda bagels, Andy’s, call your mother, now this place
ReplyDelete8:52 - For bagels, I'd probably say trend. For banks, pizza places, coffee shops and French cafes/pastry, it's definitely a glut.
DeleteIDK, but mere steps away is Lidl which has nice chewy ET bagels and the packages of cream cheese are on sale this week for .99 ¢.
ReplyDeleteThere is a need for brunch/breakfast options to go in Woodmont Triangle. You're kind of left with Starbucks (often sells out of food items, particularly on weekends) or Dunkin. So a couple of new bagel places should do well.
ReplyDelete8:00 - There isn't very much street parking exactly where this is going in is the point. Can people walk? Of course. Do I need a spot right outside the door? No. And as I've said in the comments recently, I walk upwards of 30 miles every week even in the freezing cold of a few weeks ago. You? Doomed? I never said anything to suggest that Pop Up Bagels is doomed. In fact, I said basically the opposite. Folks will find this and walk by no doubt and they likely will do well. But if you are driving, and can't find a place close enough to park and run in, you won't come back. Call Your Mother will crush it when they open because it's good and because the parking where they are going in the Woodmont Triangle is close and plentiful. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteNY-er here. CYM is a terrible bagel. Full stop.
DeleteAlways good to know a central planning expert like JAC has a solution for everything.
ReplyDelete5;49 - Peace and goodwill toward men.
Delete2:12 - Definitely not a NYC bagel, I agee. But that's awfully tough to replicate for whatever reason despite thousands trying. I don't think Bethesda Bagel, owned by a NYC Jew, even gets close to H&H, Zabar's and many other classic NYC bagel joints. But Call Your Mother still satisfies with what they offer. And to be fair, I don't think they are trying to be a NYC bagel place. Great name though you can't deny that.
ReplyDeleteThere's an H & H Bagels at 601 K St. NW. I haven't heard whether they replicate their NY bagels.
DeleteH&H shut down years ago. Whoever bought the rights in NYC and DC is not doing the old brand any favors.
DeleteThe VERY BEST bagels (where they use propriety NYC filtered water) can be found at "Bagels & Grinds "in Potomac Village..open 5am to 5pm. Neal's in Kentlands runs a close second. JMNSHO.
ReplyDeleteWill they be importing NYC water, because that is the secret ingredient, provided that you do everything else right in addition to.
ReplyDelete12:21 - The NYC water, being said to be the secret ingredient in NYC bagels, is a long held myth. Sadly, it's not accurate. I wish it were that easy.
DeleteThey say the same for the pizza pie.
DeleteIt's NOT a myth! The filtration, chemicals & detergent is probably the cleanest safest water supply in the nation and makes the difference in the dough for pizza & bagels.
DeleteBest Bagels in the DC/Baltimore area are Goldbergs Bagels and "Bagels And..."
ReplyDeletewhat is this about a required minimum order?
ReplyDelete8:02: You have to buy at least 3 bagels.
DeleteIs that like clubs BITD with a 2 drink minimum? Is that still a thing?
Delete5:36 - You can use all caps all you want. It's just not true and never was. The water being the secret ingredient to NYC bagels is the very definition of a myth. Here's an NPR.com piece on the subject. A quick Google search reveals dozens of articles on the topic. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/05/21/405190434/chew-on-this-the-science-of-great-nyc-bagels-its-not-the-water
ReplyDelete