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It's just an itty-bitty little kernel of overheated corn. But, to two Michigan City natives, popcorn is big business and getting bigger with every flavorful mouthful that is munched. Chris and Tim Heitmann are two local guys who went to the big city to strike it rich. They did pretty good. The sons of Paul and the late Lana Heitmann hadn't even dreamed of popcorn as a career while in school, they said. Tim went off to Purdue University at Lafayette to study aeronautics to be a pilot. Chris went to the University of Illinois at Chicago to major in criminal justice. He even did a stint as a probation officer. Popcorn Palace isn't just movie-store popcorn, the Heitmanns proudly say. It's gourmet style. Their main arsenal of popcorn flavors numbers 27. The basics - natural, cheddar cheese and caramel corn - are covered. But, such noble taste-bud wonders like Cookies & Cream Popcorn, Macadamia Butter Crunch Popcorn, Jalapeno Popcorn, Carmel Nut, and Honey Almond are among a healthy list of temptations. Tim said, "We just released Pumpkin Pie Popcorn flavor. It has gotten a great response from customers." And just how did Michigan City's native sons get successful so quickly? Hard work, yes. Tenacity, yes. But, they also used their other family members. Chris and Tim tapped their six other siblings for extra help. Tim said, "All of them have worked in the popcorn business with us. It started out willingly at first..." Melissa Heitmann, sister of Tim and Chris, helped to manage the operation in general, while the two brothers found themselves popping as much as 5,000 pounds of popcorn a month. When Melissa was asked how she liked working for her brothers, she replied with a laugh, "I'd like to think it's the other way around." At one time or another, pretty much all of the Heitmann family has been drafted for service at the Popcorn Palace, Melissa said. The Heitmanns agree it is very difficult to walk past their store without your mouth watering. The smell is a very compelling element of selling their product. "We feel that Popcorn Palace & Candy Emporium is unique because no one has the equivalent program of store design, merchandising, product quality and training," Chris said. "The primary piece of cooking equipment is called the 'treat center,' used for seasoning and cooking the candy coating for the popcorn," Chris said. "The store has a very visual appeal. People see it and smell it. Plus, we often have employees passing out free samples." Inside the store, people can see the popcorn batches being made in a 20-gallon kettle. The Macadamian Butter Crunch, Cheddar/Carmel mixed and caramel nut mixes with peanuts, cashews and almond are hot flavors, as is the Jalapeno, Tim said. "We are always researching new flavors." Almost as good is getting a surprise package delivered to your door from The Popcorn Palace. Chris said their mail-order catalog and on-line business parts of the business are flourishing. "The knowledge and experience gained from direct customer contact in the retail store has successfully leveraged into a mail-order gift operation that cross markets the retail store and builds a strong brand identity," Chris said. "Mail-order processing and fulfillment takes place at our warehouse in Michigan City." The current customer order list exceeds 30,000 names and is self-building, he said. The gift catalog is sent out in September only to customers who have sent the firm's popcorn goodies to others, or the catalog goes to those who have received the packages in the past. A seven-percent response from the catalog mailings is considered high in the industry, Tim said. And celebrities aren't above indulging in the specialty popcorn. Those who have received the popcorn include: President Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates of Microsoft, actress/singer Olivia Newton-John, actress Loni Anderson, film director Robert Zemekis, Steve Kerr, formerly of the Bulls, and Bob Probert of the Blackhawks. Tim said the gifting service includes boxes of candy, gift baskets, nuts and cashews depending on what is ordered. He said the way the popcorn is popped is unique and the flavorings, such as the caramel, are made from scratch or come from quality suppliers to get the proper consistency and taste. The Heitmanns may expand their operation by a store or two in the future, but are concentrating on expanding the on-line, the mail-order ends of the business. Chris said, "We know we can only locate in high-volume malls with good locations, and we need high visibility." For more information on The Popcorn Palace & Candy Emporium, or for a catalog, call (800) 873-2686, or check out their Web site at www.popcornpalace.com. The official address for the firm is 10925 Franklin Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131. |
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