PopUp Bagels, the fast-growing artisan bagel concept operating under its trademarked "Not Famous but Known" positioning, is entering Alabama for the first time with a new location in Birmingham, the company confirmed. The brand has also disclosed plans for at least four additional Alabama sites, signaling a coordinated state-level rollout rather than a single-unit test.
Why Alabama, Why Now
The Southeast has emerged as one of the more competitive battlegrounds for better-bagel concepts over the past two years. Regional breakfast and bakery daypart traffic has outpaced national averages as consumers continue to shift spending toward quality fast-casual and specialty grab-and-go formats. Birmingham, in particular, has attracted a wave of chef-driven and franchise concepts drawn by the city's growing food culture and a relatively underserved premium breakfast segment.
For PopUp Bagels, the Alabama expansion follows a broader geographic push that has taken the brand well beyond its Northeast origins. The company built early recognition through a direct-to-consumer and pop-up model before transitioning to brick-and-mortar units — a playbook that has proved effective at generating organic demand ahead of a permanent opening.
Expansion Signals
A commitment to four-plus locations in a single state is a meaningful signal from an operator of this scale. Multi-unit state entries typically require secured real estate, local franchise or operating partners, and supply-chain logistics capable of supporting simultaneous ramp-ups — suggesting PopUp Bagels has done considerable groundwork in Alabama ahead of this announcement.
The breakfast and bakery segment broadly has attracted significant franchising interest in recent years, with concepts differentiated by product authenticity and cult-brand appeal commanding premium unit economics. PopUp Bagels' "Not Famous but Known" branding leans directly into that authenticity narrative, a positioning that has resonated with consumers skeptical of mass-market chains.
Operators and franchisees tracking bakery and breakfast-daypart expansion may view the Alabama entry as a bellwether for how specialty bagel brands can penetrate markets historically dominated by quick-service breakfast incumbents. The brand's multi-unit state strategy also aligns with broader franchise growth patterns seen across better-for-you and artisan food concepts pushing into the South and Midwest.
Further details on specific Birmingham address, opening timeline, and the remaining Alabama sites have not yet been disclosed by the company.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
