A new artisanal kettle-cooked popcorn shop is opening its doors in Purcellville on Friday, October 17, at 210 N. 21st St., Ste. F. The grand opening and celebration of Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn begins at 3:30 p.m. and includes a sneak peek into popcorn production with samples of the crunchy snack.
“We’re thrilled to bring Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn to the community of Purcellville, where we can share the joy of our perfectly crafted kernels with even more popcorn lovers,” founder and owner Nicole Brown said in a blog post. “Our aim is to offer an unmatched, authentic assortment of craveable flavors. Because life is too short for ordinary… we make it ‘Praiseworthy’!”
The gourmet popcorn brand uses natural ingredients, and is vegan, GMO-free, and gluten-free. The brand’s signature flavors are Heavenly Kettle, Lucious Lavender, and Red-Hot Rosemary. There are also specialty seasonal flavors like spring cherry blossom, fall pumpkin spice, and winter peppermint chocolate.
Brown started the business in 2017 as a passion project to help pay for her daughter Jessica’s college tuition. Brown was soon bringing her popcorn-making trailer with a 200-pound kettle to pop-up locations like farmers’ markets and street festivals. By 2023, she had begun manufacturing, bagging, and selling her popcorn online, at local markets, and in all Union Kitchen stores.
Brown has worked from a small manufacturing facility for the past two years to produce the snack. The Purcellville shop will be the first full retail location for Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn. The popcorn is already in many area retail stores and cafes, including Shop Made in VA, Compass Coffee, Leesburg Gourmet, and at Dulles Airport.
Pop’s is a family-run business, with Brown, her husband Ken, and her daughter Jessica running the business. The brand name is inspired by Nicole’s father, Johnny, whom she credits with her entrepreneurial bug.
Feature image courtesy Pop’s Praiseworthy Popcorn
