PopLuck

What PopLuck does

PopLuck is a privately held, founder-owned gourmet popcorn retailer operating from a single physical storefront at 1535 West 8th Street Unit A-3 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2017 by Jennifer Minski, the company produces and sells small-batch artisanal popcorn in two primary formats—individual bags and sampler boxes—with three always-available core flavors (Salted Butter, Caramel Corn, and Say Cheese! in Orange or White Cheddar) supplemented by eight rotating specialty flavors that change regularly to drive repeat visits. The retail location operates Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 8pm, and the company extends its reach through a delivery partnership with Grubhub for home delivery within the Erie area.

The underlying "technology" is small-batch artisanal popcorn production rather than any software or digital platform; there is no proprietary technology, patents, trademarks, apps, or AI capabilities disclosed. Marketing is conducted primarily through physical retail presence, word-of-mouth, and a website-based email newsletter for coupon and news distribution. Revenue is generated through direct in-store purchases (one-time transactions) and Grubhub marketplace delivery orders (transaction-fee model), with no B2B, wholesale, or e-commerce-direct channels disclosed.

PopLuck serves individual consumers seeking premium, freshly-made snack options and gift buyers purchasing sampler boxes, with a horizontal segmentation approach across both segments. The company has 11-50 employees, has not raised external funding, and was recognized as an Erie's Choice Finalist for Best Places to Work in 2018, indicating a positive workplace culture. There is no evidence of multi-unit expansion, institutional backing, or material ownership changes since founding.

Name

PopLuck

Legal name

PopLuck

Website

https://popluckpopcorn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PopLuck is a founder-owned gourmet popcorn retailer based in Erie, Pennsylvania, operating a single storefront since 2017. It sells small-batch artisanal popcorn in individual bags and sampler boxes, with core flavors and rotating specialties, plus Grubhub delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gourmet Popcorn / Snack Foods

NAICS

Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Gourmet Popcorn & Caramel Corn Shops (THAFAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Popcorn & Puffed Snacks (CRADABAH), Popcorn Manufacturing (AFAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Gourmet popcorn
• Small batch snacks
• Flavored popcorn retail
• Artisan popcorn shop
• Popcorn gift boxes

Headquarters

HQ city

Erie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Retail Sales: Revenue generated from in-store purchases of gourmet popcorn products, including individual bags and sampler boxes sold directly to consumers at the retail location.
2. Third-party Delivery Platform: Revenue generated through Grubhub marketplace delivery orders, where customers order via the platform for home delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

PopLuck produces and sells small-batch gourmet popcorn at a single physical retail storefront in Erie, Pennsylvania. The offering combines a set of always-available core flavors (salted butter, caramel corn, and cheese varieties) with eight rotating specialty flavors that change regularly, sold as individual bags and curated sampler boxes. Products are also available for home delivery through the Grubhub marketplace.

Product overview

PopLuck is a gourmet popcorn retailer operating from a single physical location in Erie, PA, offering small batch artisanal popcorn with a mix of always-available core flavors (Salted Butter, Caramel Corn, and Say Cheese! in Orange or White Cheddar) alongside eight rotating specialty flavors that change regularly. Products are sold in individual bags and sampler boxes for variety-seeking customers. The company operates a retail storefront with hours Tuesday-Saturday, and also offers ordering through the GrubHub delivery platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Batch Gourmet Popcorn Artisan popcorn made in small batches at PopLuck's retail location in Erie, PA, featuring a set of always-available core flavors (salted butter, caramel corn, and cheese in orange or white cheddar) alongside eight rotating specialty flavors that change regularly. Designed for individual consumers seeking premium, freshly-made snack options.
• Individual Bags Single-serving popcorn bags available for purchase, allowing customers to try individual portions of various flavors. Sold to walk-in retail customers and through Grubhub delivery.
• Sampler Boxes Curated boxes offering multiple popcorn flavors in smaller portions, enabling customers to experience a variety of PopLuck's offerings. Targeted at gift buyers and customers seeking product variety.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GrubhubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrubhub serves as a delivery marketplace channel partner, listing PopLuck's products on their platform for order and delivery to customers in the Erie area. This extends PopLuck's reach beyond walk-in customers to home delivery orders.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Garrett Popcorn Shops: Iconic Chicago-based gourmet popcorn retail chain selling small-batch flavored popcorn (including caramel corn and cheese varieties) in retail storefronts with nationwide tourist demand. Closest comparable business model to PopLuck.
• The Popcorn Factory: Specialty popcorn retailer focused on gift tins, sampler boxes, and seasonal assortments sold through DTC and wholesale channels. Highly comparable to PopLuck's sampler-box gifting positioning.
• Popcornopolis: Premium popcorn brand selling flavored popcorn via retail and online channels, including gift cones and sampler formats. Competes directly for gourmet popcorn gifting and snacking occasions.
• Cousin Willie's Gourmet Popcorn: Gourmet kettle corn and flavored popcorn brand sold in retail grocery, gift shops, and online. Comparable product mix (sweet and savory flavors) and small-batch positioning to PopLuck.

Broad incumbents

• SkinnyPop: National premium popcorn CPG brand (Conagra-owned) with broad grocery distribution and mass-market awareness. Competes for the same consumer snacking occasions but at much larger scale.
• Angie's Boomchickapop: National better-for-you popcorn brand with broad retail penetration, focusing on flavored popcorn in bagged formats. Represents the larger CPG incumbent competition PopLuck faces.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with a strong gourmet popcorn assortment including gift tins and unique flavors. Represents the specialty retail channel and private-label competition for gourmet popcorn.
• Old Dutch Foods: Established North American snack manufacturer with a popcorn line sold through grocery and mass channels. Comparable as a popcorn manufacturer/brand in the snack category.
• Cracker Jack: Iconic caramel-coated popcorn and peanut snack brand with national CPG distribution. Comparable as a long-standing caramel popcorn brand competing for similar consumer occasions.

Emerging players

• Opopop: DTC premium popcorn brand selling flavored popcorn via direct online ordering and curated boxes. Comparable as a digitally-native flavored popcorn brand targeting the gifting occasion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/popluck-popcorn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 PopLuck