According to the Popcorn Institute, U.S. consumers eat 13 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually, or 42 quarts per person. While most of that volume is the hot butter popcorn variety served at movie theaters or the caramel kind during the holidays, Popped Fresh offers off-the-beaten-path flavors at its Conejo Valley shop. The store sells more than 60 varieties of popcorn in seven categories. The cheese category, for instance, includes Cheddar, Jalapeño Ranch, Bleu Cheese, Dill Pickle, Parmesan & Garlic and Sour Cream & Chives. The chocolate category has S’Mores, Sea Salt Caramel Brownie, Butterfinger and Nutter Butter. Popcorn also comes in Pizza and Southwest Hot Wings flavors. The shop, located at 5013 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills, is as colorful as its products. Kettle corn at Popped Fresh comes in three varieties, including Movie Kettle and Cinnamon Toast, and the multiple bag sizes range from $2.75 for a mini to $71.75 for a party bag. The most expensive items are extra-large bags of chocolate flavors that top out at $169.50. Husband-and-wife team Alden and Barbara Sheets started the shop three years ago. Last year, the couple decided to step back from running a small business and sold it to Charmaine Cooke. The popcorn shop fell into the Cooke’s lap because she and Barbara Sheets were longtime friends who had worked together in the past. “I was not looking for something at all,” Cooke said. “It was a very spontaneous thing. I talked to my family and it moved very quickly.” The outlet relies on a clientele of party planners, hotels and walk-in foot traffic. Although Popped Fresh is her first adventure in business ownership, Cooke previously managed a Pottery Barn. Upon assuming the Sheets’ shop, Cooke added personal touches, taking down shelves and repainting a wall with a fresh coat of bright yellow and feature art by a local muralist to “make it more trendy (and Instagram-friendly),” she said. While there are a few local competitors, they either don’t have as big a range of flavors or they lack a brick-and-mortar venue, operating online or in markets instead, Cooke added. “We’re kind of a unique place, I don’t think there’s anything else like this in Los Angeles County,” she said. The candy category offers the most colorful flavors, including Banana, Grape, Lemon, Blueberry, Blackberry, Green Apple and Bubble Gum. One flavor that requires explanation is Puppy Chow. “Puppy Chow is a Midwest snack,” Cooke said. “We take our caramel popcorn, coat it in smoked chocolate and peanut butter. We add Rice Chex and pretzels and then we dust it with powdered sugar. So, it’s incredibly dense.” So what are Cooke’s flavors? “I love Dill Pickle and our Movie Kettle,” she said, noting that the former sells very well. “Our cheddars are the most popular. Most people here like the Dill Pickle. Trader Joe’s gets rid of their seasonal dill pickle popcorn after summer, so people go online and then find out we have it.”
