Popcorn Paradise - Lexington, KY

Hey y’all! It’s summertime here in Kentucky, which mostly means I have “Doin’ Time” by Sublime now stuck in my head, and we’re still experiencing most of the seasons in one day. But it also means that there are all kinds of events going on, a lot of which serve the staple festival/fair cuisine - funnel cakes, corn dogs, and popcorn. It just so happens that I’m eating some popcorn while I’m writing this post! But this is not just any old popcorn; this colorful creation comes straight out of Lexington, KY from a family owned-and-operated joint called Popcorn Paradise. With more than 30 different flavors to choose from at any given time, there’s something for everyone at Popcorn Paradise; from sweet to savory and everything in between, there’s a flavor for every mood and every palate! We spent the afternoon talking to the owner of Popcorn Paradise, Chris Furr, and he was kind enough to let us in on how he got started in the popcorn business and what all goes into making this delicious local treat!

I kind of thought that everyone around here knew about Popcorn Paradise; after all, I’ve seen their booth set up at several different events in Lexington over the past few years. But Chris estimates that only around 20% of people in town have ever heard of them, let alone tried their tasty popcorn. We want to remedy that insanely low number of people who aren’t in the know by showcasing their vast arrays of flavors, but first we wanted to get to know Chris and how this idea popped into his head (sorry for the pun, I couldn’t help myself!). We bellied up to the counter of Popcorn Paradise while Chris told us about his trip to the 2014 NCAA tournament in Dallas, TX; our beloved Kentucky Wildcats were playing in the Final Four where they unfortunately fell short of a 9th championship to the UConn Huskies, but that’s neither here nor there. It was in Dallas that Chris got the idea to start a gourmet popcorn shop. He stopped in at a popcorn stand outside of AT&T Stadium and struck up a conversation with the owner; by the time he was back in Kentucky he was ready to get things popping (sorry again!). Chris bought up some equipment for his new popcorn venture and kept it in storage for a while until he decided to move it into a trailer he had originally intended on using for BBQ. His first idea was to take the popcorn trailer around and serve it up at all kinds of events, but there was one problem: the equipment was so heavy that he couldn’t move the trailer! So on November 15, 2014 Chris, along with his parents, moved into a brick-and-mortar location on Versailles Road here in Lexington. They started out serving up two flavors: Bourbon Caramel and Kentucky Mix (Bourbon Caramel mixed with White Cheddar), and quickly expanded to 8 flavors. Now you can find anywhere from 30-50 different flavors at any given time at Popcorn Paradise; we walked out of here this time with Caramel Apple, Tutti Fruiti, and Dill Pickle - a little something for every tastebud! (Fun fact: Popcorn Paradise started out serving both popcorn AND ice cream, but they dropped the ice cream once friend-of-the-blog Toa Green opened Crank & Boom craft ice cream).

After opening the brick-and-mortar shop on Versailles road in late 2014, Chris noticed an alarming trend: the shop didn’t get many customers. So to help remedy this situation, Chris called up the fine folks at WLEX, a local TV station here in Lexington, and asked if they would do a story on his new business. The station sent Lee Cruse over to do a Saturday morning segment on Lexington’s newest popcorn shop, and boy howdy did that do the trick; there were so many new customers to the shop that they couldn’t keep up with the demand! If you’re interested in seeing this interview, we’ve posted the links to it at the end of this post. Fast forward to June of 2015, when they started setting up shop at the newly-founded Market 301 in downtown Lexington, which is a pop-up shop featuring local vendors. They were routinely selling 150 bags of popcorn each time they were featured at the market! At this point in their venture, Popcorn Paradise decided to change their business model to become more event-driven. This led them to becoming members of the Richmond farmers’ market, as well as the Night Market in the NoLi district of Lexington, and eventually they would be invited to participate in the Alltech Craft Brew Festival. The latter event opened up an even bigger enterprise for the fledgling popcorn shop: wholesale. After being featured at the Craft Brew Festival, Popcorn Paradise started to sell their gourmet goodies to several breweries around town at wholesale prices, meaning more and more people were becoming aware of this delicious product. All of this success led Chris to quit his full-time job and become fully immersed in the popcorn business, and they have since moved from their storefront on Versailles Road to the up-and-coming Warehouse District on National Avenue. Here, they participate in the annual block party and have a lot of support from the neighborhood; they also have more kitchen space and more traffic at this location, making it the perfect place to call home.

The idea for the name Popcorn Paradise came pretty easily to Chris; he knew that the name had to include the word popcorn, and paradise kind of just rolled off the tongue, and so the name Popcorn Paradise was born. Interestingly, the original theme had a rustic feel to it, but once they came up with the name Popcorn Paradise then they knew they had to go with a beach theme instead. The palm tree and sand logo really bring home the tropical theme, and it works well with the many brightly-colored popcorn varieties you’ll see in the shop. Speaking of, the flavors have been a real trial-and-error adventure, and Chris likes to experiment with different tastes. The best sellers include Bourbon Caramel, Kentucky Mix, and White Cheddar Jalapeño, while Chris really loves the Kentucky Mix, Rosemary, and Buffalo flavors. Right now they have some fun summer flavors, including Coconut Rum (made with 80 proof rum) and Firecracker Southwest (White Cheddar with chipotle seasoning). The main focus of Popcorn Paradise at the moment is fundraising for schools and other organizations (you can contact the store for more information), but Chris would also love to franchise the shop and move into the Louisville and Cincinnati markets. You can also come into the shop and talk to Chris about all of your popcorn needs, like making your own flavors, popcorn sizes (including decorative tins), and making custom bags for your upcoming events. The new shop on National Avenue has plenty of parking and is next to La Petite Délicat and across the street from Mirror Twin Brewing, so why not make an afternoon of visiting all three places? As long as you’re beginning or ending your day at Popcorn Paradise then you’re sure to have a great day! Please stop in and check them out, and be sure to tell them that Bluegrass Bourbon and Eats sent ya! Happy eating!

https://www.facebook.com/PopcornParadiseKY/videos/1519946571620698/

https://www.facebook.com/PopcornParadiseKY/videos/1519947281620627/