A new gourmet popcorn shop has opened it’s doors in Uptown Westerville.
Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn, founded in Bluffton, OH, opened at 15 N. State Street on November 9th. The company makes gourmet theater-style popcorn, available in twelve sweet, savory, and salty flavors. Flavors include classic buttered popcorn alongside gourmet flavors like candy-coated Jelly Bean and caramel-and-cheddar Windy City. Premium flavors include decadent options like Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel, Buckeye, and Chocolate Almond.
Husband-wife duo Pete and Kim Suter opened the original Bluffton Shirley’s in 2009. The couple owns the historic one-screen Shannon Theatre. People would come for the popcorn alone, and the Suter’s had the idea to open a separate store, which is now connected to the theater. The company recently began franchising, opening stores in Findlay and Maumee before opening a third in Westerville. Westerville was the first franchise sold, but the last to open, due to construction delays. The Westerville store is the largest of the three, clocking in at 1,700 square feet.
The eponymous Shirley, whose caricature appears on the store logo, was a well-known and well-liked box office attendant. She died from cancer around 2007 after a loyal 25 years working at the Shannon. The company memorialized her as the forever face of the theater, which is still in operation today. Shirley was dedicated to literacy, know for buying children’s books and passing them out to kids in line at the theater. Every June on Shirley’s birthday, the company throws a party and donates all profits to a local literacy program, such as the Westerville Library Adult Literacy Program.
The community response has been overwhelmingly good, according to general manager Ally White. The brand has plans to expand throughout Ohio, as well as out-of-state. Shirley’s is also working on co-branding a popcorn with the nearby Otterbein University.
Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn is open 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday – Saturday, and noon – 6 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, visit www.shirleyspopcorn.com.