An $8 million Series A fundraising round has been finalized by the startup bagel brand PopUp Bagel. The financing will finance the company’s further expansion and enlarge its leadership group. Stripes, an equity group based in New York City, led the investment round. John Davis, a culinary idea investor and Hollywood producer, also contributed money to the business last year. The company was able to increase its store space in Greenwich Village and Greenwich, Connecticut, thanks to that finance.

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in Westport, Connecticut, entrepreneur Adam Goldberg created the brand in his kitchen. When Mr. Goldberg first started the company, he had his neighbors taste test his bagels, and word of it quickly got out to other communities. Soon after, his business took off as news spread. Customers paid for them by placing online orders for bagels many days in advance, then picked them up at specific times and locations.

“When I started all of this out of my home, it was just because I thought the bagel could use improvement,” Mr. Goldberg said. “I am so humbled by the response over the last year, from the hour-long lines that form to the simple first reactions in the most scrutinized market for this product. It was not long before I realized we needed to finance our operation to allow more of the world to experience the PopUp Bagel way.”