Hello popcorn lovers!! This has been a highly experimental week for sure, thus I am a day late.
Have faith in yourself and the process!
The first of the three I would like to offer is a word of hope. For those that have an entrepreneurial itch to scratch, this one is for you. I had numerous times this week where i was faced with a issue, usually minor, and the solution would manifest itself. I don't believe in a lot of things but I believe in hard work, good customer service, and karma is real. My favorite example came from a batch of our Loaded Potato popcorn. We voluntarily pull our savory popcorn after 10 days, even though it remains fresh longer, because we want our customers to enjoy it at peak quality. I had a customer come in at day 8 and bought the entire batch!!
Making pretty popcorn, profitable.
The second of three is one of my favorite parts of the business, trying out new flavors. We decided to change a couple of the flavors in our Rainbow popcorn to flavors that might sell better individually as well. We added a Tutti Frutti and a Banana flavor to fill the Violet and Yellow posts in the the ROY G BIV. We have a pretty good candy base that we use, then it is just adjusting flavoring and getting the color right. Even more exciting we were invited to join a pickle fest as a vendor this Spring. We are creating two new pickle flavors for the occasion. These will be different than our normal savory pickle flavors, these will be pickle flavored candy!! The first batch was close but just not there yet. I love playing in the kitchen!!
How candied popcorn is made.
The third of the three this week, I am trying to bring you into our kitchen and show you my favorite part of making popcorn. We are going to start making videos of the making of the Candied flavors. You get an aerial view of the working of the hot candy coated popcorn until it form individual pieces. The popcorn comes out at 330 degrees and it is a past moving process to keep it from being a solid lump. My wife and friends say that it very hypnotic to watch. I am hoping that y'all will enjoy the brief behind the scenes view of our popcorn process.
You have to fight for every customer.
And now the ONE, the struggle is real!! Specialty retail requires constant innovation. That’s why we continue developing new flavors and improving systems. Participating in events like the Rio Grande Valley Pickle Fest is essential for new customer acquisition and sales growth. There isn't a built in NEED, and you have to cultivate the WANT. In todays trying times people's WANT dollars get harder and harder to fight for. For the first time we were down compared to the same month in the prior year. You have to find new ways, new flavors, and new services to offer to stay relevant. But, I don't give up easily and I really appreciate my wife being rock.
If you would like to try any of our delicious small batch popcorn for yourself, please visit us at https://otmpopcorn.com. Grab a couple of your favorite flavors and sign up for our Popcorn Lovers newsletter.
I hope you have an amazing week!!