New business aims to offer a little slice of Popcorn Heaven

Daniel and Kysha Frazier held down good-paying jobs for years, even if their mundane titles didn’t exactly pop.

Then less than a year ago, the former systems engineer and Work First policy consultant went into the business of beaming customers and satisfied stomachs.

“I haven’t run across a person that doesn’t like popcorn. It’s just a product everyone’s familiar with,” Kysha Frazier said. “It’s something people are willing to try, even if it’s a variety that’s a little different.

The Fraziers are launching their newest Popcorn Heaven location at Eastridge Mall in Gastonia on Oct. 16. The expansion will come almost 10 months after they opened their first franchise at a mall in Columbia, S.C.

The new shop is situated on the mall’s second level, near the escalator and next to Reeds Jewelers. In addition to traditional popcorn flavors, it will offer almost 50 gourmet varieties, from savory to sweet and chocolatey to fruity, with candy and nuts and everything in between.

As self-described popcorn enthusiasts, the husband-and-wife team is proud of the fact that everything they sell will be popped on site and sold fresh.

“That’s what we think kind of makes us special,” Kysha Frazier said. “Because right when we pop it, we serve it.”

The only exceptions will be corporate events, birthday parties, weddings and other special events they cater. Mail orders are also a big part of their business.

Corn off the cob

The Fraziers’ fixation with popcorn stems from their native Iowa.

“That’s where a lot of corn is made, so you grow up eating lots of popcorn,” Kysha Frazier said. “Anybody who knows me knows I love corn and butter.”

The couple’s careers and an interest in warmer weather prompted them to move south and build a home seven years ago in Indian Land, S.C., just outside Charlotte. Then, friends of theirs back in Iowa opened a specialty popcorn business, which buttered up their ambition to do the same thing.

Popcorn is loved by adults and children alike, Kysha Frazier said. It lures in people who smell it, even if they can’t see where it’s being cooked up. And it’s a versatile treat that can be tweaked in all manner of ways, with delicious results.

“It catches everybody’s eye,” Kysha Frazier said. “And adults like the sweet stuff even more than kids.”

The Fraziers’ recipes have attracted national attention. Their birthday cake popcorn, for example, was cited in June by Food Network Magazine as being among the “best popcorn flavors across the country.” It features sweet vanilla popcorn with creamy white chocolate, cake mix and colorful sprinkles.

Kysha Frazier said the new career has become as gratifying as it has been successful. And the two enjoy specializing in something that produces positive emotions.

“This is about putting out a product that makes people happy,” she said.

You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or on Twitter @GazetteMike.