Doc Popcorn looking to bring its brand of crunch to Philly
Renee Israel, also known as "Mama Pop," is looking for a few good franchisees to expand Doc Popcorn in the Philadelphia market.
Renee Israel, also known as "Mama Pop," is looking for a few good franchisees to expand Doc Popcorn in the Philadelphia market.
With the brand in kiosks at Cherry Hill and Willow Grove Park Malls, Doc Popcorn - the largest franchised retailer of fresh-popped popcorn - wants to grow its mall footprint.
Foot traffic will help that footprint. The numbers show that Philadelphians love a good walk, making our area a good match for Doc Popcorn.
Philadelphia is ranked the fourth most walkable city in the United States by Walk Score, making the City of Brotherly Love a prime target for snack vendor growth, according to retailers.
Laeeq Arshad, 36, of Voorhees, bought a bag of Doc Popcorn last week for his 4-year-old twins, Azan and Ayat, at Cherry Hill Mall, where the kiosk has been since June 2012. But it is his wife, Fatima Arshad, 32, who is the real "addict" of the family. He got her a large bag for $11.
Fatima is a member of Doc Popcorn's Tin Refill Program, which gives her a free refill the equivalent of a large bag after the first 11 purchases.
Fatima, a senior manager of internal audit for a utility company, said she's been a loyal customer of Doc Popcorn's for two years. She usually gets her fix between shopping stints at Cherry Hill Mall, where the Doc Popcorn kiosk sits next to the food court.
"The popcorn tastes healthy and light," she said. "I absolutely love the classic kettle - it's a beautiful balance between sweet and savory. It's definitely my favorite flavor."
Doc Popcorn has 114 locations, 100 of them in the U.S. The remainder are in Mexico, Japan, Oman, and Chile.
"The Japanese love food concepts, and when we launched that store in May 2014, it was like a massive line in Tokyo," Israel said. "That's a destination," she said of the store.
The brand's three business models are mobile carts (4 by 6 feet), kiosks (10 feet by 20 feet) and mall stores (500 to 1,200 square feet) at high-foot-traffic locations - such as malls, stadiums, fairs, and convention centers.
Next month, the company will roll out a cookies-and-cream-flavored popcorn.
It's building its first food truck in Minnesota and testing it, and eyeing further overseas expansion. China is on the radar.
Plans to expand come at an opportune time. More people are snacking these days, and doing so in a healthier manner, according to surveys.
A 2015 report on snacking trends showed that snack sales grew from $34.2 billion to $47.5 billion from 2005 to 2015, and that number is expected to rise.
The SHS FoodThink report found that 37 percent of millennials intend to increase their snacking in the future. However, it's not just to indulge. Small snacks spaced out through the day are a way to add variety to their diet. Snacks are also more convenient and are typically more affordable.
The report said the primary type of snacker driving growth is the "healthy snacker," who puts a high priority on better-for-you and natural snack foods.
By being primarily in carts and kiosks, "we're not a destination, but more a convenience," said Israel, 48. "We are a convenient, impulse purchase."
She founded the company with her husband, Rob, 54, in 2003 in Boulder, Colo. They began franchising it in 2009.
The couple sold it to ice cream snack maker Dippin' Dots in 2014, and Doc Popcorn is now a wholly owned subsidiary.Israel works closely with the marketing and brand director at Dippin' Dots to manage the look, feel and brand reputation of the co-brand.
The two firms have since been opening co-branded kiosks and stores throughout the country in high-volume malls. There are a dozen such locations now.
It's something they want to do in Philadelphia. Israel said Doc Popcorn has preapproved locations in three malls. She cannot disclose the locations due to confidentiality agreements. But it means that property managers want Doc Popcorn to have a presence at their mall.
This is where new franchisees come in.
"We are actively looking for franchise owners to help us open these stores," said Israel, who graduated from Gettysburg College.
Snacking consumers are on the go. "We don't have time, and we look for things that are convenient and just grab and eat on the go," she said. "Our product differentiates us. We are actually a snack, not candy popcorn. We use high-quality ingredients with no MSG and no preservatives - just really a snack that is better for you in a high-traffic, enclosed shopping mall or stadium."
Israel said Doc Popcorn does especially well in the fourth quarter of the year, driven by strong holiday sales.
That also explains why the partnership with Dippin' Dots makes a lot of sense. Ice cream sales tend to do better in warmer months. Dippin' Dots is found mostly in amusement parks, and while one product is sweet, the other is more savory.
"The two together make it more season-proof," Israel said. "We offer a product that might not be eaten as much during that time of year in the summer."
"You think about ice cream more in warmer months than in winter months. When we put the two together in the same space, the two brands can be in places where otherwise we could not go in by ourselves, in higher rent places."
The two brands also share the same point-of-purchase system and staff. Both require minimal equipment - a popcorn maker and ice cream machine - making small spaces ideal.
The pairing has achieved higher sales per unit. "Dippin' Dots franchising is currently tracking an increase of 24 percent in ice cream sales over last year," said Vanessa Reeves, director of real estate and franchise development for Dippin' Dots Franchising and Doc Popcorn Franchising.
"We always say we are not in the popcorn business," said "Mama Pop" Israel. "We are in the smile-creating business. . . . We all have nostalgic memories over popcorn - whether at a movie theater with our family when we were younger, or at a baseball game. Popcorn is very nostalgic."
215-854-4184@SuzParmley