Bottoms Up Bagels pop-up in Frederick

Lauren LaRocca, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Dec. 7—Baltimore-based Bottoms Up Bagels will bring its New Jersey-style boiled bagels to Frederick on Dec. 10 and 11 at a pop-up at the YMCA on North Market Street, in conjunction with the Santa Run.

Visitors can try BUB's signature spreads, house-cured lox and breakfast sandwiches from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days at the Y Teaching Kitchen at 629 N. Market St., Frederick, or until they sell out. Race participants will receive a coupon for a discount on a bagel, but the pop-up shop will be open to everyone.

The women-owned, queer-owned business will pop up in Frederick as part of its BUB Roadshow, where the crew brings their concept and Here's to Everyday spirit on the road to treat folks to old-school bagels made from scratch. For the owners of the seven-year business, it's also a chance to return to their roots and introduce their team to different regions, histories and communities. Since summer of this year, Bottoms Up Bagels has been soliciting social media followers to nominate their towns for a Roadshow stop, and Frederick soon topped the list.

"Frederick has been on our radar for a while, and we're excited to have our first pop-up here," says owner and cofounder Michelle Bond. "It's an exciting and growing city with a sense of local pride," Bond adds, noting time spent there visiting friends and exploring the city.

"We've regularly visited Frederick over the years and have remarked on its thoughtful growth, safety and cleanliness," says Joan Kanner, co-owner, chief vision officer and the creative force behind the Roadshow. "Meeting with officials from their Mayor's Office and the Downtown Frederick Partnership underlined their commitment to both existing businesses and mindful, out-of-market attraction."

Bond and Kanner have always been intentional about building Bottoms Up Bagels, focusing on partnerships. This intention is what inspired them to work with the YMCA of Frederick County, making use of their Teaching Kitchen on Market St. BUB will be producing and selling on-site, while supporting the YMCA's annual campaign in the process. The YMCA of Frederick County's annual Santa Run raises funds to support the Y's programs and services.

Inspired by traditions of bagel-making dating back to the 1940s, these Jersey girls and friends founded BUB in 2015 as a pop-up at area farmers markets, art galleries and breweries. They steadily built a following for their dense, chewy bagels, piled high with house-cured lox and egg sandwiches. In 2019, they launched the BUB Roadshow, testing their concept in new areas.