Exploring Life & Business with Mark Rice of Big Poppa Corn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Rice.

Hi Mark, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2019 I started traveling a lot for my corporate job. Our home office is located right outside of Chicago so I was introduced to gourmet caramel popcorn and cheese popcorn made by a very well known company that had a kiosk inside O;Haire Airport. Deep down I always wanted to have my own business but didn’t know exactly what. Well I became obsessed with this amazing popcorn and when I got home I decided I would learn to make it for myself. My obsession led me to a great local gourmet popcorn company in East Nashville. When my friend Mario and I walked inside it was like a light went off. I told him right there “I am going to open a popcorn shop in Portland. That’s it.”

I started to do my research and I watched hours upon hours of videos on YouTube about making caramel popcorn at home. I started making it and giving it to my friends to try and give me their feedback. While watching popcorn videos on YouTube I came across videos on kettle corn. One the the videos I watched caught my attention. This guy was captivating. He was exciting. You could tell that he loved what he did, I felt like I could do this too! So I decided to buy equipment to start making kettle corn. Now mind you I never had kettle corn before. So I ordered an 80 quart popper with a sifting table from a fabricator in Washington State. When it arrived I practiced and practiced making kettle corn in my back yard. I burned so many batches before I finally got it right. I think my neighbors thought I was crazy.

I signed up to sell kettle corn at the Portland TN Farmers’ Market in the spring on 2019. I hired my very first employee, my 15 year old nephew Landon (Lil Poppa) and we were off to the races.

In October of 2019 I purchased a entry level caramelizer and started doing our Gourmet Caramel popcorn and mastering that recipe. I was making it in our dining room and fulfilling orders from the kitchen table. That month I also found an ad on craigslist for popcorn equipment from a company out of Evansville Indiana that shut down. We got an incredible deal and knew this was a God thing. My friends and I got a UHaul and made two or three trips to pick everything up. Thankfully a very good friend of mine let me store everything in his warehouse in Bowling Green KY until I was able to find my own place. Without my friend Mike I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Fast forward into 2020 I found the space I am in currently. I signed my lease on February 28 2020. I was still working a full time job all this time having to travel and I was so miserable. COVID hit not to much longer after I signed the lease and honestly I was a little scared not knowing what to expect. We held on for the ride and trusted that we would get through it.

My last day of my full time job was June 5th 2020 and I have been full speed ahead. People really thought I was crazy. I am mean who quits a cushy job with great pay and benefits to start a full time business selling popcorn in the middle of a global pandemic. Me. That’s who. I knew it was time to bet on myself. I knew in my core it was time. My wife was so supportive and she knew it was time for me to step out by faith and go for it.

We had lots of challenges and still do but we have made some big strides. Our facility is licensed and permitted by the State of Tennessee Department of Agriculture. So we are officially a food manufacturing facility. We are part of the PICK TN Products program and our popcorn is sold in 25 retail locations and growing. We boast that we are “Proudly Popped in Portland TN”

My wife quit her job in May of 2021 to join in the popping! It is exciting to know we both are in this together.

We were honored by the Portland Chamber of Commerce with the New Business of 2020 Award.

It’s like a dream come true. Everyday when I unlock the door and walk into my shop I still can’t believe that I have my own gourmet popcorn business!

When people say it just popcorn – I remind them that it’s not just popcorn, it’s Big Poppa Corn!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road. Our adventure has definitely has had it’s share of challenges. My goal from the beginning was to locate my own space for retail and food manufacturing. Being that I had never done this before there was so much to learn and figure out. Lots of emails. Lots of phone calls. Lots of google searching. It was tiring at times and mentally straining. It got to a point where I almost gave up. It was information overload and very overwhelming.

The stress getting our space up to local codes was a challenge in itself. Being a novice in the world of building codes didn’t help.
Working with the Department of Agriculture was a great experience. There is so much that goes into securing that food manufacturing permit or the golden ticket as I call it. There were days I thought my brain was going to explode.

Another challenge of course was the dreaded covid outbreak. With everything happening right when farmers market season was ramping up, the fear of cancellations was real. We had events that ended up being cancelled which didn’t help either. There were times when ingredients couldn’t be found due to the supply chain being interrupted as well.

Honestly I think I biggest struggle in my entrepreneurial journey has been myself. Say what? Yes, myself. This journey has forced me to face my self doubt, my lack of confidence, my fear of failure, my anxiety, and the what if’s. I think any entrepreneur would agree that there is a certain amount of pressure we carry every day. Learning how to handle that pressure is a struggle in itself.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Our business is a gourmet popcorn company located in the heart of historic Portland TN. We specialize in small batch gourmet popcorn that is delicious & addictive.

Big Poppa Corn was born out of passion for gourmet popcorn. Our Gourmet Caramel Crunch is our signature flavor and is made with REAL ingredients. We do not take short cuts with our recipe. You can taste the difference.

We are excited our products are sold in close to 25 retail locations and growing. Big Poppa Corn offers corporate gifts, a profitable fundraising program, specialty gifts, online sales, and wholesale opportunities.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is putting in an honest days work in order to achieve my dreams. Success is not quitting when up against challenges that are sometimes too difficult to figure out. Success is not giving up yourself and not giving up on your dreams. Showing up everyday and doing your best for you and your family is success.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: bigpoppacorn.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/bigpoppacorn
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/bigpoppacorn
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigpoppacorn?lang=en