Schmear It purchases Lil Pop Shop’s West Philadelphia storefront, set to sell bagels and popsicles

Breakfast establishment Schmear It has purchased dessert business Lil Pop Shop’s storefront at 44th and Spruce streets and has announced that the store will sell bagels and Lil Pop Shop's popsicles starting this fall.

While Lil Pop Shop's popsicles are currently being sold at the West Philadelphia storefront, Schmear It hopes to begin selling their full offering of bagels, popsicles, coffee, and more at the store this fall. The joint operations follow a round of acquisitions and partnerships by Schmear It co-owners David Fine, a 2011 College graduate, and Brett Weinheimer, a 2000 Wharton graduate — including the purchase of Philadelphia breakfast chain Philly Bagels last fall and a partnership with Rival Bros coffee.

“We knew what a beloved brand [the Lil Pop Shop] was, and what a beloved product it was,” Fine told The Daily Pennsylvanian. He added that they considered the question of whether they could “do something unique in that space — bring bagels and share with the neighborhood.” 

Lil Pop Shop has provided the West Philadelphia community with popsicles and pies since it opened on 44th Street over 12 years ago. In the fall of 2023, owner Jeanne Chang announced the closure of the shop, spurred by her decision to attend Penn’s Graduate School of Social Policy and Practice. 

Schmear It began as a popular food truck and was founded with a mission to fill what Fine believed to be a lack of breakfast food options for students at the time. It wasn’t until the fall of 2015 that he announced the opening of its first brick and mortar location in University City at 36th and Chestnut streets. 

Following the official opening of the store, along with their usual food and monetary donations to Philadelphia charities, Schmear It hopes to grow its relationship with the Penn Alexander School on 43rd and Spruce streets, which the Lil Pop Shop has provided with popsicles for past events. 

“That’s what we’re interested in, working to be a good part of the community, [providing the] sorts of products that the demographic wants and needs,” Fine said, adding that from the beginning, Schmear It has aimed to be “community centered” and “impact centered.”