What Popcornopolis does

Popcornopolis is a Los Angeles-based gourmet popcorn brand founded in 2003 that produces and sells premium popcorn under trademarks including Popcornopolis, Zebra, and Unicorn Popcorn. Its core technology is small-batch cooking using specialized mushroom and butterfly popcorn kernel varieties — mushroom kernels for candy-coated products (Zebra, Caramel, Kettle) and butterfly kernels popped in coconut oil for the Nearly Naked line. Products are made with non-GMO corn, are certified gluten-free, and include signature flavors (Zebra, Caramel, Kettle, Cheddar Cheese, Unicorn, Double Drizzle, Nearly Naked) plus co-branded SKUs with Takis (Fuego and Intense Nacho). Packaging spans 1 oz to 9.5 oz bags, mini cones, and tall cones.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model spanning direct-to-consumer e-commerce (popcornopolis.com), an Amazon storefront for corporate gifts, wholesale distribution to grocery, convenience, and entertainment venues, a national Walmart retail partnership launched through AMC Entertainment in March 2025, and a fundraising channel operated with Gateway Fundraising. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, with bulk and wholesale pricing available on inquiry only.

Popcornopolis was acquired by Grupo Bimbo through its Barcel USA subsidiary in Q3 2025 from NexPhase Capital (which had invested in 2019), marking Grupo Bimbo's entry into the U.S. popcorn category. The company is now operated as a brand under Barcel USA, LLC with 101-250 employees, and benefits from the parent company's distribution infrastructure while maintaining its own Los Angeles manufacturing base.

Name

Popcornopolis

Legal name

Barcel USA, LLC

Website

https://popcornopolis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Popcornopolis is a Los Angeles-based gourmet popcorn brand (founded 2003) producing small-batch, non-GMO, gluten-free popcorn in bags, cones, and gift formats, sold via DTC e-commerce, Amazon, wholesale, a national Walmart retail partnership, and a fundraising channel. Now a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo through Barcel USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gourmet Popcorn

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Popcorn & Puffed Snacks (CRADABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Popcorn Manufacturing (AFAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Gourmet popcorn products
• Flavored popcorn snacks
• Popcorn gift assortments
• Wholesale snack distribution
• Popcorn fundraising programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales through popcornopolis.com offering individual bags, mini cones, tall cones, gift baskets, and variety packs. Customers can browse by flavor, occasion, or package type.
2. Wholesale/Bulk Orders: Wholesale distribution to warehouse, grocery, convenience store, and entertainment venue partners. Products sold in case quantities for retail resale.
3. Fundraising Programs: Partnership with Gateway Fundraising enabling organizations to sell Popcornopolis products as fundraising items, with sellers collecting orders and distributing products.
4. Retail Partnership: AMC Entertainment expanding Popcornopolis retail popcorn line into Walmart stores nationwide, representing mass-market retail distribution.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Popcornopolis manufactures and sells gourmet popcorn in a variety of flavors and formats, including bags (1 oz to 9.5 oz), mini cones, and tall cones. Signature items include Zebra® Popcorn (caramel corn with white and dark chocolate drizzle), Caramel Corn, Kettle Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Nearly Naked, Unicorn Popcorn®, and collaboration flavors with Takis (Takis Fuego® and Intense Nacho). The company sells through its own DTC website, Amazon, wholesale to retailers, Walmart retail partnership via AMC Entertainment, and a fundraising program operated with Gateway Fundraising. Products are made with non-GMO corn in small batches at the company's Los Angeles, California factory.

Product overview

Popcornopolis is a gourmet popcorn brand offering a diverse portfolio of premium popcorn products available in bags (1 oz to 9.5 oz), mini cones, and tall cone formats. The core product line includes signature flavors like Zebra® Popcorn (caramel with white and dark chocolate drizzle), Caramel Corn, Kettle Corn, Cheddar Cheese, Nearly Naked, Unicorn Popcorn®, and Double Drizzle. The company also offers collaboration products with Takis (Takis Fuego® and Intense Nacho varieties). Products are sold through e-commerce, wholesale distribution, and a fundraising program. Popcornopolis uses non-GMO corn and positions itself as a premium, artisanal popcorn maker.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zebra® Popcorn Signature gourmet caramel corn drizzled with white and dark confectioner's chocolates, creating a distinctive striped pattern. Sold in bagged format for consumer snacking and gifting.
• Caramel Corn Classic buttery caramel-coated gourmet popcorn with a sweet, velvety caramel flavor. Sold in bagged format as a core SKU.
• Kettle Corn Sweet and salty gourmet popcorn with a buttery caramel coating and subtle saltiness, balancing two complementary flavor profiles.
• Cheddar Cheese Popcorn Savory popcorn with a bold, sharp cheddar cheese flavor for consumers looking for a non-sweet option.
• Nearly Naked Popcorn Lightly salted popcorn popped in coconut oil using snow-white butterfly kernels for an unusually tender and crispy crunch. Positioned for consumers seeking a simpler, less-sweet option.
• Unicorn Popcorn® Sweet-tart popcorn combining natural berry and lemon flavors with creamy icing in a magic-themed treat for kids and gift-giving.
• Takis Fuego® Popcorn Spicy and tart popcorn featuring Hot Chili Pepper & Lime, co-developed with the Takis brand (also within the Grupo Bimbo portfolio).
• Intense Nacho Takis Popcorn Gluten-free popcorn with an intense cheesy nacho flavor and zero heat, co-branded with Takis for consumers who want savory without spice.
• Double Drizzle Popcorn Blend of caramel and kettle popcorn finished with white and dark chocolatey drizzle stripes for a multi-flavor bagged experience.
• Mini Cones Premium Assortment Snack-size cone packaging for gourmet popcorn assortments, sold in 12, 24, and 40 packs for gifting, parties, and individual snacking.
• Tall Cones (24-Count Ultimate Classic) Full-size cone packaging for gourmet popcorn assortments, designed for gifting, parties, and special occasions.
• Popcornopolis Fundraising Program Service offering for schools, sports teams, and community organizations to sell Popcornopolis gourmet popcorn as fundraisers, with brochure-based order collection and consolidated bulk delivery through Gateway Fundraising.
• Popcornopolis Wholesale / Bulk Orders Wholesale distribution service supplying Popcornopolis products in case quantities to grocery stores, convenience stores, warehouses, and entertainment venue partners for retail resale.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gateway FundraisingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPopcornopolis partnered with Gateway Fundraising, a well-established company successfully working with fundraising customers for over 40 years, to support their fundraising business. Contact: Veronica at 909-476-7870 or [email protected].
• AMC EntertainmentcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAMC Entertainment is expanding its retail popcorn line featuring Popcornopolis products into Walmart stores nationwide starting March 11, representing a major retail distribution partnership.
• Takis (Grupo Bimbo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPopcornopolis partnered with Takis to create co-branded products including Popcornopolis Fuego Takis (hot chili pepper & lime) and Popcornopolis Intense Nacho Takis, leveraging the Takis brand's spicy snack positioning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SkinnyPop: SkinnyPop is a leading ready-to-eat popcorn brand now owned by Conagra Brands following the 2014 Amplify Snack Brands acquisition. It is the most direct competitor to Popcornopolis in the premium/gourmet popcorn segment, with comparable retail distribution, DTC presence, and flavor-innovation approach.
• Angie's Boomchickapop: Angie's Boomchickapop is a premium popcorn brand owned by Conagra Brands, with strong DSD distribution and a flavor-innovation track record similar to Popcornopolis. Both compete head-to-head in the better-for-you / non-GMO popcorn aisle across grocery and club channels.
• Popcorn Indiana: Popcorn Indiana is a gourmet popcorn brand specializing in flavored kettle corn, caramel corn, and cheese popcorn, sold in grocery and club channels. It is a comparable size and positioning to Popcornopolis, focused on the same giftable and snackable gourmet popcorn occasions.

Broad incumbents

• Smartfood: Smartfood is Frito-Lay's flagship popcorn brand and the category share leader in U.S. ready-to-eat popcorn. As part of PepsiCo's snack portfolio, it dwarfs Popcornopolis in shelf space, trade spend, and DSD coverage, and competes across the same flavor profiles including white cheddar.
• Jolly Time Pop Corn: Jolly Time is a 100+ year-old family-owned popcorn brand that sells both microwave popcorn and ready-to-eat popcorn kernels/snacks. It overlaps with Popcornopolis in the ready-to-eat popcorn segment while also competing in the broader popcorn category.
• Cracker Jack: Cracker Jack is Frito-Lay's legacy caramel-coated popcorn and peanut snack brand. While more mass-market than Popcornopolis, it competes in the same caramel popcorn and concession/snack occasion segment and benefits from PepsiCo's distribution scale.

Emerging players

• Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks: Pipcorn is an emerging premium popcorn and heirloom corn snack brand sold DTC and in natural/grocery channels. It competes with Popcornopolis in the artisanal, non-GMO, clean-label corner of the popcorn category and is similarly distributed through Amazon and specialty retailers.
• Lesser Evil Popcorn: Lesser Evil is a clean-label snack brand with a popcorn line emphasizing organic, non-GMO, and Paleo certifications. It overlaps with Popcornopolis' Nearly Naked and better-for-you positioning and is similarly distributed across natural, grocery, and DTC channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/popcornopolis
• Facebookfacebook.com/popcornopolis
• Instagraminstagram.com/popcornopolis

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Popcornopolis