Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Tyler.
Hi Amy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We opened Indulge four and a half years ago without any popcorn making experience. My career had been in education and this was my first dabble in entrepreneurship. My husband thought that a popcorn shop would make for a great start-up; he loves popcorn and wholeheartedly believes everyone does. However, I had no real interest in popcorn or any food business, which is strange because I LOVE food. Somewhere along the way as he worked to convince me, I started to think that popcorn could be different than my experience with it and the space in which it is enjoyed could be different. That is when the idea of popcorn became appealing when I realized I could do it my way and offer something special. So I thought of recipes, came up with a concept and when the shop was about ready to open, I started experimenting, making popcorn for the first time. Those recipes are still used today as our six staple flavors and a new rotating flavor is introduced each week to keep things fun. It has been a journey over the years; having lots of success in some ways and times of real struggle when the feeling was to let the business go. It has taken a great deal of hard work and perseverance to stay in business. We are now at another exciting point in the life of the business, opening our 2nd location. It’s starting to feel like the future is really bright now and I’m excited to see all the hard work and sacrifices pay off.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s pretty difficult for new businesses to make it, apparently it’s even harder for popcorn shops. The ones who make it usually have to be creative and figure out other avenues for income or change their entire business model. You have to build relationships with other companies to provide popcorn for their events and gifting, take your show on the road and become vendors at events, ship your product, etc. Sometimes those things are still not enough. It has been difficult to hang in there and then when we thought things were looking up, the pandemic happened. We’ve overcome many challenges and I’m sure there will be more, the point is to just keep going.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Indulge Gourmet Popcorn?
Our popcorn is delicious because it’s made with natural, Non-GMO, premium ingredients. We offer six staple flavors; caramel, cheddar, white cheddar jalapeno, white chocolate, simply salted and caramel with chocolate and pecans drizzled. There is a flavor of the week that changes each week, this week the flavor was raspberry cheesecake, next week it may be lemon pepper! We offer our popcorn in-store and online and can provide pre-packaged or bulk popcorn for your events.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was adventurous as a child. I became a bit reserved and introverted as an adolescent. I was a sweet kid and an easy enough child, I think. I was interested in art and I was pretty good at keeping myself engaged in something, though I can’t recall any hobbies. I always enjoyed making concoctions in the kitchen, which has come in handy with all the popcorn making I do.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@indulgepopcorn.com
- Website: indulgepopcorn.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/indulgepopcorn
- Facebook: facebook.com/indulgepopcorn
Image Credits
Carlissa Georgeanne Calvin Lockwood
