BagelUp Growth Lab Returns as Business Incubator for Emerging Bagel Entrepreneurs, Launching a Year-Round Partner Program
Second annual BagelUp Growth Lab expands with vetted industry partners and an educational webinar series designed to help rising bagel makers open and grow their first shops
NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Great bagels may start with flour, water, yeast and skill, but building a successful bagel business takes much more. On Saturday, November 14th, 2026, BagelUp (which produces New York BagelFest) will present the second annual BagelUp Growth Lab, a business incubator designed to help promising bagel entrepreneurs gain the knowledge, connections and industry resources needed to turn their bagel concepts into sustainable businesses. Taking place at Loft 39 the day before New York BagelFest at Citi Field, this year's expanded Growth Lab will feature business education, access-to-capital discussions, live pitches, product sampling and direct connections with experienced operators, suppliers and other industry professionals.
BagelUp is also taking the incubator beyond a single day. In an effort to support participating bagel makers as they work toward opening their first shops and scaling their businesses, it has created a year-round Growth Lab Partner Program, connecting entrepreneurs with vetted vendors across the essential areas involved in building a modern bagel business. Throughout the following year, participating partners will separately present a series of educational webinars sharing practical guidance with the Growth Lab entrepreneurs, covering everything from selecting equipment and designing a physical shop to choosing packaging, processing payments and understanding the operational infrastructure needed to open the doors. The goal is to give founders an ongoing network of specialists they can turn to as their businesses develop.
"The Growth Lab helps rising stars of the bagel industry survive the leap to their first brick-and-mortar. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, roughly 40-50% of new accommodation and food service establishments close within five years. That's why we connect these founders with industry veterans who've already been through it—and back again—so they get the candid feedback and mentorship that can make the difference in those critical early years," says Sam Silverman, President of BagelUp.
BagelFest introduced Growth Lab in 2025 as both an incubator and tasting experience for early-stage bagel makers from across the United States and Canada. The inaugural program brought rising entrepreneurs together with the public, media and industry professionals while creating opportunities to discuss the realities of starting and scaling a modern bagel business. It positioned the Growth Lab and its accompanying Industry Mixer as a new professional pillar of the New York BagelFest weekend, intended not only to showcase up-and-coming makers but also to support the next generation of entrepreneurs while strengthening connections across the larger bagel ecosystem.
The program returns in 2026 with an expanded curriculum and a more deliberate emphasis on business incubation, and under the BagelUp umbrella. Rather than ending when participants leave New York, the second annual Growth Lab creates a pathway for continued education, professional guidance and access to trusted industry resources throughout the year.
The new partner initiative addresses a simple reality…a founder preparing to open a bagel shop suddenly has to become an expert in far more than dough. Entrepreneurs need to understand architectural plans, ovens and production equipment, point-of-sale and payment systems, packaging, workflow, financing, staffing and dozens of other decisions that can determine whether a new food business succeeds. BagelUp has assembled a network of vetted vendors and specialists who can provide information and guidance within their respective areas of expertise, with participating businesses gaining opportunities to learn directly from these partners through a webinar series over the next year.
"There's nothing like seeing a baker's dream take shape. Great bagels are where it starts, but building a bagel shop that lasts also takes solid business fundamentals, a well-planned space with the right equipment, and access to the right capital. The Bread Bakers Guild of America is thrilled to be part of the Growth Lab, sharing what we've learned so early-stage owners and operators can build resilient businesses that thrive for years to come," says Karen Bornarth, Executive Director of the Bread Bakers Guild of America.
Initial partners span the key ingredients, services and infrastructure needed to build a bagel business, including King Arthur Baking Company for flour, All Bake Technologies for bakery equipment and services, Philadelphia Cream Cheese for cream cheese, Malt Products Corporation for malt and sweeteners, Bettani for plant-based alternatives, Manischewitz for kosher foods, Echelon Payments for merchant services, noissue for packaging, and thinkDESIGN Architecture for architecture and design.
King Arthur Baking Company brings a longstanding commitment to quality baking products, education and community, reflecting its belief that baking can connect people and should be accessible to everyone. All Bake Technologies Inc. supplies bakery equipment, parts and services to professional bakers, from small retailers and wholesale bakeries to commercial chains and industrial operations. Philadelphia Cream Cheese, made with fresh milk and real cream, emphasizes quality dairy ingredients without artificial flavors, preservatives or dyes. Malt Products Corporation, a family-owned company founded in 1957, supplies barley malt syrups and powders, a key bagel ingredient. Its custom-blending capabilities and available non-GMO and organic-certified products offer insight into ingredient sourcing and production needs as businesses grow. Bettani Farms develops protein-rich, dairy-free cream cheese using plant-based technology, offering an alternative free from dairy, soy and nuts for shops considering inclusive menu options. The Manischewitz Company, a name associated with traditional Jewish foods since 1888, brings a longstanding kosher-food heritage to the partner network. From pioneering machine-made matzo in 1888 to its matzo ball soup and other traditional offerings, the company represents a connection between Jewish culinary traditions and the food businesses carrying them forward.
Echelon Payments provides customized payment solutions combining payment technology with customer support and an emphasis on trust and transparency, helping entrepreneurs better understand the merchant-services infrastructure necessary to operate a growing retail business. noissue works with brands and businesses of varying sizes to create custom, sustainable packaging, emphasizing accessible customization and low minimum-order quantities, considerations valuable to emerging businesses developing a cohesive customer-facing brand experience. thinkDESIGN Architecture, a full-service boutique architectural firm specializing in residential and commercial renovations and developments, introduces the planning and design considerations involved in turning a business concept into a functioning physical space, and have designed dozens of bagel shops in New York, including iconic brands like Utopia Bagels, La Bagel Delight, Terrace Bagels, Highway Bagels, and The Bagel Store. Additional partners and webinar topics may be announced as the program develops.
Together, the partners are intended to form a practical resource network around the entrepreneurs, helping founders understand who they need, what questions they should be asking and what decisions they will face before opening and operating a shop. The program is designed to make it easier for early-stage business owners to identify experienced resources before they reach critical points in the process of opening, financing or expanding their businesses.
The in-person Growth Lab curriculum begins at 10:30 a.m. with "The Business of Bagels," presented by Karen Bornarth, examining the operational and entrepreneurial side of building a successful bagel company. At 11:30 a.m., participants will have an opportunity to schmooze and refresh before the program turns to one of the greatest challenges facing growing food businesses: financing. At 12:00 p.m., "Access to Capital" will explore funding pathways available to entrepreneurs seeking to launch or expand their businesses, featuring Guild Board President Kobla Asamoah and Adam Pollack, Partner at Echelon Payments. The session will address how entrepreneurs can prepare for capital conversations, what financial partners may look for in a developing business and what founders should understand as they consider funding their next stage of growth.
Following lunch, Growth Lab Pitches begin at 2:00 p.m., giving participating entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their concepts, share their stories and articulate their plans for growth. At 3:00 p.m., the focus shifts from business plans to the bagels themselves with a sampling session featuring the participating makers. The educational portion of the day concludes at 4:00 p.m. with "Outfitting a Bagel Shop," a practical discussion about transforming a bagel concept into a physical operation. The session will feature Peter Sonenstein, VP of Sales & Marketing at All Bake Tech, Dominick Ciccarelli, Partner at thinkDESIGN, and Dianna Daohuang, co-Founder and Executive Chef at Black Seed, with topics spanning equipment, architecture and shop design, production workflow, scalability and considerations founders should address when planning their first brick-and-mortar location.