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“I appreciate you.” This phrase may seem like an easy way to do it thank you customers on the way out, but PopUp Bagels in New York City I know it's much more than that. The bagel shop prioritizes every customer interaction as it serves thousands of dozen of fresh, fluffy bagels each week that founder Adam Goldberg believes can leave a lasting impression and even make someone's day.
Yelp reviewer Amanda R. was one such customer who felt that small interaction made a big impact. “They just said, 'I appreciate you.' It felt so real. It made me feel like I was really appreciated for being there, and it was a really short interaction, but it was so sweet – and the bagels were amazing.
This culture founded in community care made the bagel shop go viral. A customer waited an hour in the store for her friend to arrive and one of the staff gave her a free bagel to eat. By the next morning, all of the store's social media accounts were blowing up. Turns out the client was a big one food influencer and posted about this act of kindness. Influencer or not, this is how PopUp Bagels treats people, says Goldberg.
“We love taking care of our customers (and) taking care of our community that shows up for us,” he says. “We always treat every person in our store like they're an influencer, and we treat every person in our store knowing that every bagel that comes out is bound to be photographed and end up on the Internet.”
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marketing and social media have been key to the store's success. From the sign outside with the slogan “Not Famous, But Famous” to the way bagels are served in a giant cream cheese cup, every element of the customer experience compels customers to snap a photo and share it before they leave. to leave.
Goldberg always knew his bagels were photo-worthy, but he didn't know how to do it build a brand out when he started. That's when he reached out to one of his investors with branding expertise to create the bagel aesthetic captured all over social media today.
Goldberg says that being able to consult with experts and build partnerships it is essential for business growth. For example, he consulted an experienced manufacturing specialist to handle logistics and production once the business was profitable and it was time to scale. When it was time to open a store in new cities, that meant hiring more staff and being on top of the schedule, so he hired a veteran of retail operations to manage the transition. He said it's all about the humility to hire where you lack knowledge.
“A lot of (knowing when and how to grow) is knowing what I can and can't do,” he says. “It's so important to let people who are great at what they do do what they do.”
With a team of seasoned professionals at his side, it was up to Goldberg to make the biggest decisions pricing strategy AND building the business model. A big part of his plan involved evaluating the market to strike a balance between profitability and customer satisfaction.
“I worked backwards,” he says. “What's the price someone is willing to pay, the maximum or the minimum, that it's possible for us to sell it and it's possible for them to buy it? We decided that three bagels and a schmear for $12 was a value of good.” Controlled mathematics; three bagels and a schmear was a win-win for customers and for business.
But the business benefit doesn't stop there revenue maximization; it is equally important to minimize costs.
“The biggest waste in the food world is when you have a menu that's too big and you have too many products,” says Goldberg. “And the one thing I never really want to have is a waste cost. You're always going to have something, but I don't want that number to be 20%. I want it to be 1%.”
THE minimize wasteit all comes back to supply and demand. Goldberg offers only a small portion of the machines in high demand to ensure that the product leaves the shelf. And the economics of waste minimization works; bagels and schmear are flying off the shelves. Even at maximum efficiency, PopUp Bagels always has a line out the door.
At 11 a.m. on a weekday, Amanda says the store was still bustling. “Part of me is thinking, I am very hungry. How will I wait in this line? Then the rest of me is like, Okay, this must be really good because there are so many people here. So we pull up, get in line, and literally before we knew what we wanted, we were in and ordering. It was so fast, so efficient. When you see the line, you're like, There must be something here that people love.“
And that special “something” New Yorkers keep coming back to boils down to bagels. “So crispy and toasty on the outside, so warm and soft on the inside,” says Amanda. “We walked a few blocks, sat on a shoulder and took pieces of the bagel and threw it in the cream cheese. We were on cloud nine. It was so good.”
From the friendly exchanges with the staff to the fresh-in-the-oven bagels, the best part of the experience is kind of like the shop's most popular bagel: everything.
PopUp Bagels has spread across the US with 10 locations following these core business principles:
- Take a moment with each customer. Whether it's sharing a free ticket while they wait or creating a moment of gratitude, the little things can add up long-term loyalty.
- Treat every customer like an influencer. You never know who might walk through the door, so consistently deliver top-notch service, not for PR, but because it's authentic to your brand.
- Stick to your business model and know your limits. profitability is key before scaling. Keep the business model clear, simple and useful to both the business and the customer to ensure operational efficiency and profitability.
- Hire smart and admit when you need help. Be open to bringing in experts in areas where you lack knowledge to help your business achieve the best results. Above all, treat employees with respect and empower them to create a positive customer experience.
Listen to the episode below to hear live from Goldberg and Amanda, and subscribe to After the Review for more from new business owners and reviewers every Thursday. Available at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora AND Soundcloud.
Editorial contributions from Erin Palmero AND Kristi Lindahl