OUR STORY

 

 

Popcorn Shoppe is the vision of two people with love and kindness as the basis for everything next that happens in life. Matt and Niki, the owners, were not the original creators of the shop. That credit goes to Richard, their friend, who began the business himself in Lacon, Il. During his three years as owner, he taught the duo how to make delicious popcorn, and even sold them equipment to experiment in their spare time. Both working their full time jobs, popcorn became a hobby, a way to learn the craft while also raising money that was donated to local hospitals for a very specific purpose.

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In November 2019, Niki and Matt learned they had lost the pregnancy of their son, Ryan, at 36 weeks. Devasted, lost, insert all the negative adjectives here, the pair felt it. The pain lasted months, and even to this day the hurt will never leave. They cannot change the past, but they became determined to change the future. In a dream, the phrase was spoken to Matt "Be bigger than yourself." That has become the motto of The Popcorn Shoppe. It has upgraded slightly, and now states: Be Bigger Than Yourself. Always Choose Kindness. 

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In 2022, Richard decided to pursue other opportunities and wanted to sell Popcorn Shoppe. Excited, the pair took the opportunity to become young entrepreneurs, and purchased the store. They both stopped their full time work, and Popcorn Shoppe became their lives. New ownership, new learning curve, and small town cliental proved challenging, and the store was relocated from Lacon to Peoria, IL in September 2022. 

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Matt and Niki love the new environment, and it has been a dream come true to take on a new vision for Popcorn Shoppe - a store built on kindness, giving away free gumballs or suckers and lunch bags of movie butter popcorn. Each batch of popcorn is hand made, using only the best ingredients, to bring you the best quality popcorn. Disabled adults are the backbone of the work, providing jobs and opportunities to those that truly love doing what they do. Employees are tasked to make sure each customer leaves with a smile on their face bigger than when they came in. We want you to love our lemon shake ups and all we do to bring great quality to you at an affordable cost. Thank you for supporting us and Popcorn Shoppe!