VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Kettle corn shop near Syracuse set to expand in January
Alex Rubinson: A local kettle corn shop is expanding. Ma and Pa’s Kettle Corn and Popcorn Factory will be opening a new location at the beginning of the new year. I talked with the store’s manager to see why the local business has blossomed.
Rubinson: Ma and Pa’s Kettle Corn and Popcorn Factory started as pop-up booths at the turn of the century. As the company celebrates its 25th year anniversary, it now is about to be home to two shops and five food trucks. Store Manager Michael Baker says the store has at least 65 flavors of corn in-store at one time. He believes the product’s quality is why the company continues to thrive.
Michael Baker: We have a great product. We keep it consistent. We’re always updating it, keeping it fresh, making sure that there’s fun stuff for people to have when they come in.
Rubinson: The factory may not have started out as a food truck, but it is part of the Syracuse Food Truck’s Association. Baker says that he has seen local businesses rise from small food trucks to owning permanent locations. Robin Espostio says there is something for everyone.
Robin Esposito: They have a variety, and they try different new flavors. They travel around to different events, the state fair, so they’re well known.
Rubinson: The store has a wide variety of tin bins from cartoon characters to sports teams. Baker says the bins are a popular holiday gift.
Baker: We’s re good to our customers. We’re definitely a business that puts the customer first. We’ll do anything we can do to make sure somebody leaves here happy.
Rubinson: Baker is excited for the factory’s next chapter.
Rubinson: The new store’s location will be five times the size of their current shop. The shop hopes to be hosting birthday parties and will even include a moon bounce for celebrations.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Ma and Pa’s Kettle and Popcorn Factory will be opening a new location in January. The store currently has one location but also owns five food trucks. The factory started as a pop-up booth in the early 2000s before opening its first permanent location in 2017. The store offers a variety of flavors. Store manager Michael Baker said they have at least 65 flavors available at one time.
“We have a great product,” Baker said. “We keep it consistent. We’re always updating it, keeping it fresh, making sure that there’s fun stuff for people to have when they come in.”
Their new location will open on Old Liverpool Road. The building will be over five times the size of its current location. Baker explained that the increased space will allow the company to put on events. They are hoping to host birthday parties, as the space will allow for an indoor moon bounce.
Customer Robin Esposito explained that the shop is popular within the greater Syracuse community.
“They have a variety and try different new flavors,” Esposito said. “They travel around to different events, like the state fair, so they’re well-known.”
As the company has bought multiple new food trucks over the last few years, they belong to the Syracuse Food Trucks Association. Baker has said that belonging to the organization has let him see how small businesses that started as a food truck have blossomed into owning permanent locations.
The store prides itself on the variety of tin bins it has for people to buy. The bins range from cartoon characters to sports teams. Baker said many people buy these bins as holiday gifts. The store manager emphasized that the bins are just an example of how they want to treat their customers.
“We’re definitely a business that puts the customer first,” Baker said. “We’ll do anything we can do to make sure somebody leaves here happy.”
When the store opens its second shop, it is hoping to dive deeper into the popcorn market. Although they sell both, they have focused more on kettle corn in the past. Baker also said they are hoping to branch out and even start add acai bowls to the menu. Baker is excited as the store evolves and loves that the factory serves as an example of a local business thriving in Syracuse.