/ Business of the Month / Minocqua Popcorn & Puffs
Business of the Month:
Minocqua Popcorn & Puffs
Minocqua Popcorn & Puffs
(Eagle River & Minocqua)
Eagle River
102 Wall Street
Eagle River, Wisconsin 54521
(715) 614-3132
Website: https://www.minocquapoppuff.com/
Owner: Jim Gleich
pgleich@minocquapopcorn.com
Entrepreneurs Jim and Pam Gleich, owners of Minocqua Popcorn & Puffs, have a thriving business, simply making people happy in the Northwoods – with popcorn. “It just makes people happy,” said Jim.
In 2019, the prior owners of Popcorn & Puffs opened their second location in Eagle River and hired Pam to manage the store. In 2021, Jim and Pam purchased the business and continue to operate both stores year-round. Jim recalls, “Pam and I both had retail and customer service backgrounds, so it was just a matter of learning about popcorn.” He added, the Eagle River location was opened to enable people from Eagle River to the UP a place to get their favorite popcorn and puffs without having to drive to Minocqua.
With the increase in summer tourism, like most businesses they add part-time help in summer.
Eric Schirmer “AKA Captain Carmel” operates the off-site popping factory directly behind the Minocqua store. Specialized products clean all popping equipment regularly. Ingredients are sourced from over 20 US vendors and Spain. Their wholesale business provides products locally to more than 20 grocery stores, gas stations and bars in Oneida and Vilas Counties.
Customers are always invited to taste test new flavors. So far, 32 flavors have passed the test. Jim smiles, “We love giving our guests free samples in the stores. The most sampled are the Lemon Bar Puffs and the White Chocolate Pretzel popcorn. Most people who sample these flavors end up purchasing some on the spot.”
Business has been growing exponentially via fabulous products, high-quality customer service, and through word of mouth. Feed Our Rural Kids (FORK), receives a 50-cent donation for every grab bag or small fun flavors sold.
Visit the website for on-line shopping for popcorn in bags, tins, pillowcase packages of popcorn (that’s seven gallons of popped popcorn!) for gift giving, celebrations and family/friend gatherings. Additional products include jerky, kernel popcorn, coconut oil and flavored salts.
White popcorn is popped fresh daily in the stores where you’ll hear, “It smells so good in here!” Check the website for the monthly Featured Flavor.
Popcorn is always welcome for celebrations, corporate gifts and special events. Their products are shipped to more than 100 weddings each year in the US. Popcorn & Puff’s e-commerce business performs extremely well, especially around the holidays when online sales comprise 25-30 percent of the business revenue.
Jim is always amazed and states, “Often we get calls about an upcoming wedding from people who tell us they had our popcorn at a friend’s wedding and after tasting it, decided they had to have it for their wedding as well.”
With the upcoming holidays, Jim encourages customers to visit their online store for gift ideas the whole family will enjoy.
Congratulations Jim & Pam!!
