The Daily Times

The grand opening for “POP” KORN’S Gourmet Popcorn Tuesday drew a crowd.

Entrepreneur Ron Hicks opened the business Nov. 5 beside Firehouse Subs at the intersection of Washington and High streets in Maryville.

Hicks said “business is better than I thought it would be. Our guesstimate is that less than 1 percent of Blount County know we’re here. The people that know either saw us when they drove by, came to Firehouse Subs or from word of mouth.” More and more new customers come in because of word of mouth, he said.

He said “over Christmas it was almost impossible to get the ingredients. Everybody in the world makes popcorn, and it’s hard to buy the ingredients then.”

The sign says the company has 101 flavors but Hicks said it is now more like 150. With all of those choices, customers might wonder how in the world they can ever choose. This business owner makes it easy.

“Tasting is free. We don’t expect the customer to buy anything until they know what it tastes like,” he said.

The customer picks out a flavor and is given a sample to taste. Popular flavors are Buffalo Cheddar, Dill Pickle, Triple Dip Chocolate and Peppermint Patty.

The popcorn can come in a plain plastic bag or in decorative tins. Some of the containers are shaped like a football, soccer ball and basketball.

A small bag of white label is $2.99 and a large bag, which is over a gallon, is $14.99.

Silver and gold labels cost more because they are rolled in chocolate, have toasted coconut, double rolled in cheddar or have nuts, which are expensive.

Hicks said “as far as we know, from a price standpoint, our popcorn is less than anybody. Our prices will always be below anybody.”

They sell a collector cup of popcorn. The customer picks out five flavors including chocolate raisin, M&Ms, pecans, cashews, Cajun mix, mustard pretzel and toasted coconut.

Once the customer picks out the desired flavors, the cup is placed on “POP” KORN’S original Shake it up Baby Popcorn Shaker and mixed together.

The original concept was not his. “We stumbled across a store out of state and thought there was a better way to do it’” Hicks explained. “We like to develop brands.”

The business is headquartered in Maryville, but stores will be franchised out. “The original business model called for 20 stores but it looks like it will go past that,” he said.

People are interested in opening two stores in Maine, three in Florida, three in Georgia and two in South Carolina. Hicks also expects to locate stores in Knoxville, Oak Ridge and Pigeon Forge.

Hicks moved to Maryville in 1980, but now lives on Tellico Lake with wife Dena Thompson Hicks, a Maryville native.

Hicks is a true entrepreneur with fingers in many business pies. He has worked on several projects with Bill Felknor of Knoxville. Felknor came up with the idea for upside down tomato plants (grown in hanging containers) and through Felknor Ventures five men marketed the idea.

That’s become widely popular, Hicks said. It took about nine years to develop.

It was marketed on the home shopping channel QVC and then the world’s largest infomercial company marketed the product and the idea really took off three years ago, he said.

Through his Offcenter Entertainment Hicks is part of a team that creates and produces reality TV shows. Through that company he also works with unsigned vocal artists.

Through TeleMart, vendors represented at QVC, he has sold everything from dog beds to lawn and garden products to electrical cords on the shopping channel.

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