Shoppers lined up in Lincoln last summer for a just-pop’d treat at Just Pop’d.
By Elizabeth ElliottJust Pop’d Additional Stores Have Popped Up Fast The Daily Record Beetlejuice. Cheech & Chong. Weird Science. One may think these are just the names of classic movies. But they are also names of popcorn flavors at Just Pop’d in Papillion, Lincoln and Omaha. The business was started by Annette Bockman in May 2010 and currently has five locations. Bockman said she always had a love for popcorn. “When we were kids, every Saturday night we had popcorn and watched the Carol Burnett Show,” she said. Bockman said her favorite is the plain, salted white, but the popcorn flavors reach far beyond plain. “I have created over 50 specialty flavors and every single one of them is popular,” said Bockman. “People really love our caramel corn.” Comments on their Facebook page attest to that. They say things like, “You guys are my new obsession.” And “Popcorn Rules! Go go go go, you will miss out if you don’t!” And “Love this place,” as well as “Love this popcorn!” One thing that makes this business unique is that some of the popcorn flavors are named for Bockman’s family members. These include Kylie’s Kreation for her niece; Kourt’s Kernels and Betty’s White. There are also family members who work at the various store locations. Bockman said she has been surprised by the growth of the store. “I’m surprised by how fast we’ve grown,” she said. “We’ve only been open two and half years.” What is the secret to her success? “Everything is made fresh,” Bockman said. “We sell out and then replenish the popcorn. There is nothing over two days old in the store. We make things in very small batches so it is always fresh.” If you want popcorn but are unable to reach the store, the popcorn is available for delivery. “We occasionally deliver, but not everyone knows we offer this service,” said Bockman. “We have several businesses we deliver to on a regular basis.” They will also ship anywhere in the United States. Bockman said people are always trying to give suggestions for popcorn flavors, but she creates all of them herself. She said they haven’t had one that doesn’t sell well. Bockman, who is a graphic artist, draws on a desire to create when making new popcorn flavors. “I’m always creating,” she said. “Creating is what I do.” For those wanting to celebrate Husker game days, they don’t have a specific Husker flavor but do have several red-and-white-colored popcorn flavors to choose from. “We have several seasonal flavors and I usually create at least one new flavor every couple months,” Bockman said. She said for Valentine’s Day there will be Kit-Kat, as well as chocolate cherry flavored popcorn treats. The Beetlejuice popcorn is apple flavored popcorn with caramel drizzled on top. Cheech & Chong is cheddar cheese mixed with jalapeno flavored popcorn. Weird Science is caramel popcorn covered with cheddar cheese. Other flavors include Pretty Woman, which is cinnamon popcorn drizzled with white chocolate, and Nothing to Lose, which is caramel popcorn covered in milk chocolate and coated with powdered sugar. Bridesmaids is the latest flavor, created on January 21. Just Pop’d’s basic flavors are Betty’s White, Butter, Caramel, Cheese, Cinnamon, Kettle, People’s Choice (white, caramel & cheese), Ranch, Salt ’n Vinegar, Sour Cream & Onion; Tye-Dye (colorful, sugar-coated popcorn), and White Cheddar. Tye-Dye’s colors change seasonally and can be special-ordered in school colors. The price is right – far less than you pay for plain old popcorn at the movie theater. There are more sizes too: Small, Medium, Large, Classic, Big Daddy, Party Bag, and canisters. Not satisfied with just popcorn. How about popcorn balls? They got them in mini and regular sizes. Then there’s the “M&M thing,” with – you guessed it – popcorn and M&Ms. If you would like to order your own popcorn, you can call 402-592-7673 for their Papillion location at 11336 S 96th Street, or any others listed on their website at www.justpopd.com. The 72nd and Jones Street store in Omaha opened in November, and the 27th and Superior store in Lincoln opened in January. The two other locations are 168th and Harrison in Omaha (which opened in October), and ClockTower (70th and “A” Street) in Lincoln. |
