By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
PoPt Gourmet Popcorn's will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Friday with sweet treats and local favorites.
PoPt, 1106 E. 27th St., Suite 2, has served more than 50 gourmet popcorn flavors in Hays since 2014.
Owner Jenna Jacobs stepped up earlier this year after working with the candy shop for three and a half years.
"[The former owner] wanted to go outside the state, and I was looking for something in small business and entrepreneurship. The cards just played right," Jacobs said.
The celebration, from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., will offer a 10% discount on all items and free caramel corn, buttery corn and kettle corn.
Tenth-anniversary T-shirts will be given with purchases of $50 or more, and prizes will be awarded through a raffle.
"If people plan on getting a T-shirt or lots of popcorn, it'd be wise to come in early," Jacobs said.
PoPt was on Main Street for two years before moving to its location next to Trio Tap House in 2016.
The candy shop also features a variety of treats, including old-school candy, jelly beans, taffy, soda and gummies.
In addition to its one to 3.5-gallon popcorn tins, PoPt offers a variety of in-house treats, including fudge, peanut brittle, and frosted and roasted nuts.
Jacobs said their popcorn seeds are sourced from McPherson to showcase the treats Kansas has to offer.
"We recently got a new line of pickles out of Buckland. We try to bring Kansas-made items here," she said. "We like to maintain Kansas pride around here."
The candy store has participated in school fundraising efforts, recently completing a fundraiser for Hays High tennis and making regular donations to the community.
"We recently made a big donation to Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, and we donate to the Humane Society all the time," Jacobs said.
Earlier this year, PoPt donated 10% of its January sales to the Humane Society of the High Plains.
Jacobs said she is exploring growing PoPt within Hays but does not intend to leave its home anytime soon.
"I would love to expand, but not necessarily outside of Hays. We'll be here for a while," she said.
PoPt is offering a Christmas promotion with a 10% discount on large orders placed before Nov. 15. Orders can be picked up in-store or shipped.
The store is open:
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays
You can follow PoPt Gourmet Popcorn on Facebook and visit its website.
