WRITTEN BY JORDAN KOSSUTH
Brian & Shavyea Mosby are high school sweethearts born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. They moved to West Michigan to attend Grand Valley State University and have been proud to call the area home ever since the early 2000’s.
The couple had been operating several businesses in the area but were interested in starting a new small business that was less seasonal. They also recognized that owning and operating a small business is very time consuming, especially when building a brand, so they wanted to do something that would engage the whole family. The idea to get involved making gourmet popcorn was inspired by family in other states, who own their own successful popcorn franchises.
ONCE YOU POP, THE FUN TRULY DOESN’T STOP…
From there, things moved quickly – they travelled to Tennessee to a family member’s store to learn more and train in the art of popcorn making. They spent any downtime in the hotel room drawing up blueprints, designing a storefront, and contacting realtors. In just 30 days they had closed on a building in Kentwood, and in 60 days the doors to Mosby’s Popcorn were officially open!
They began showcasing their popcorn at the farmers markets and making appearances at various local events. As they continued to gain customers and recognition, they started to notice that they were leaving a lot of money on the table.
There are a lot of variables involved when planning for these events and markets – what flavors will be the most popular, estimating number of attendees, etc. Oftentimes they would need to run back and forth to their shop location in Kentwood to make more of certain flavors, making the investment in a more centrally located store the next best step.
FAMILY FRIENDLY & FRESHLY POPPED IN DOWNTOWN GRAND RAPIDS
Today, you can find Mosby’s Popcorn in downtown Grand Rapids at 15 Ionia Ave SW, continuing to make fresh and fun gourmet popcorn flavors inspired by their favorite recipes and desserts. And this family of popcorn connoisseurs knows what they’re doing! They use only natural ingredients, pop kernels fresh in coconut oil without added preservatives, and locally source toppings as often as possible.
Their four daughters – Niyla, Naomi, Abigail, and Addisyn – keep Brian & Shavyea on their toes and were another great reason to start this family friendly small business! “They’re the light of our day,” says Brian. The girls are involved in just about every facet of the business, from helping customers process orders to making and bagging the popcorn. While school takes precedence, you’re sure to find them in the store in the summer, after school, and on the weekends. Mosby’s Popcorn also works with KISD (Kent Intermediate School District) to staff their store, helping some students of the program build job skills and resumes.
The store itself, designed entirely by the Mosby family, is a place of fun and nostalgia, with a wall covered in 60+ types of old school candy, ranging from flavored Tootsie Rolls and Pixie Sticks to Lemonheads and Red Hots. Staff will help you pick out your favorites to mix and match, then weigh the bag for purchase. Due to their commitment to customer comfort and pandemic-related health and safety regulations, their candy selection is currently limited to pre-packaged items, but they look forward to seeing a return of favorites like Swedish Fish, assorted gummies, and Skittles.
FLAVORS FOR DAYS
In the Midwest, the words “gourmet popcorn” have become practically synonymous with that one world-famous popcorn from Chicago. If you’re craving this sweet and savory combination in the West Michigan area, Mosby’s has got you covered! Their Chi-Mix of caramel and cheddar popcorn is one of their most popular. Caramel is a popular base flavor – and can also be purchased on its own, with nuts like pecans or cashews, or in the ever-popular Salted Caramel!
Of course, with “Beer City USA” being the location of their storefront, Mosby’s also offers a Grand Rapids Beer Cheese popcorn. This unique and popular two-part flavor is made from a carefully curated combination of seasonings with a white cheddar taste on the front end and a slight hint of beer.
With over 100 rotating flavors, 55+ options online, and 40 in-store, Mosby’s Popcorn has something for the whole family. Looking to spice up your life? Brian recommends his favorite flavor, the Hot Cheese, or the Ghost Pepper – their spiciest offering which is not for the faint of heart. Anyone with a sweet tooth should check out some of their candied popcorn, like Birthday Cake, Cheesecake, and Rainbow!
Shavyea’s favorite popcorn is their Memphis Mix, inspired by a popular flavor from one of their family member’s shops. The Memphis Mix combines their Buffalo Ranch with Caramel popcorn for another sweet and savory combination you might not expect! Their daughters, on the other hand, tend to stick the classics, with their eldest daughters Nyla & Naomi loving the Caramel popcorn, and 8-year-old Abigail preferring Movie Butter. (And we agree – this basic flavor is already perfect!)
Of course, with so many flavors available, you’re sure to find some that you might not be familiar with. Once you’ve tried the more traditional flavors like Toffee Almond, Dill Pickle, or their Kettle Corn, be sure to grab a bag (or three!) of their specialty flavors – ranging from the savory Loaded Baked Potato to the sweet Mint Chocolate Chip, Key Lime Pie, or Banana Pudding.
While the amount of popcorn they pop daily is dependent on upcoming local events and large corporate orders, they can make upwards of 50 – 100 pounds of popcorn each week!
Treat yourself with snack size, small, medium, large, or family-sized bags of your favorites – and check off your holiday gift list with their tins, towers, and plastic tubs of fresh gourmet popcorn.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
As proud alumni of Grand Valley State University (Go Lakers!), and former athletes themselves, Brian & Shavyea are honored to give back to the school, and partner with GVSU to provide popcorn for their sporting events. Mosby’s Popcorn can also be found in other arenas – like the neighboring Van Andel Arena for Grand Rapids Griffins hockey games, and at basketball games for Detroit’s Motor City Cruise G League team.
When there’s an event around downtown Grand Rapids, and the smell of fresh popcorn is wafting through the air, you’re sure to find Mosby’s Popcorn! As you can imagine, they found success at Movies in the Park, as well as Movies on Monroe – the perfect treat to enjoy on a family night out!
Mosby’s Popcorn has also had a presence at the Fulton Street Farmers Market on Saturdays for the last 5 years. They are one of very few Black-owned small businesses featured there, and the family loves showcasing their business and mingling with customers who might not visit the downtown area and would otherwise miss out!
Brian & Shavyea continue to be committed to giving back to the community. With the help of Well Design Studio, they recently redesigned their webpage and added the Social Pop feature, allowing customers to easily fundraise directly through the site. Simply click Let’s Fundraise, enter information about your specific needs, and they will work with you to set up a landing page where products purchased are attributed to your campaign!
THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOPPING LOCAL
The pandemic has brought its own challenges for small businesses in the US, and further intensified underlying economical inequities. A 2020 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research estimated that 41% of Black-owned businesses in the US were forced to close early in the pandemic, representing the largest percentage loss of any racial or ethnic group. Staggering statistics like this highlight the importance of being consistent and intentional with supporting Black-owned businesses.
Mosby’s Popcorn is one of the few Black-owned small businesses represented in our downtown area. Brian highlights that the business has been a win for their family, “We take it very seriously – With this opportunity we can do some important work.”
A small business begins with a great product and the ability to showcase the value of what you’re bringing to the table. Making it to that table in the first place can be a struggle for many, due to racial disparities in access to capital, network, and markets. So how exactly does one get their foot in a door that has historically been closed to minority business owners? It takes a lot of patience and persistence.
Brian emphasizes the importance of waking up every morning and giving it 100%. He mentions that Start Garden was a great local resource to help facilitate and initiate conversations with the right contacts – including connecting them with a team to design the perfect logo. Putting a friendly face to your product and shaking hands at networking events is essential. Most importantly – “talk less and do more!” A great product is a great conversation starter to get the ball rolling. And the continued success of Black-owned small businesses like Mosby’s Popcorn is vital to building a more diverse, equitable business ecosystem in the West Michigan community.
PIVOTING IN A PANDEMIC
Following CDC regulations, Mosby’s Popcorn closed their stores for several months in 2020. Prior to this, most of their sales were made in-store through foot traffic from downtown events or office workers grabbing a snack on their lunch break. With the slow return of events, and a shift to working from home for many downtown businesses, Mosby’s Popcorn has continued to implement new strategies to drive sales online.
Various local businesses and nonprofits in the area reached out to order snack sized bags as a treat for their first responders and essential workers. Among these were Art of the Table (shoutout to Amy!), Spectrum Health, Rockford Construction, Steelcase, Jack & Jill, Kids Food Basket, and Meijer. Mosby’s Popcorn also donated 100 bags of popcorn to Mercy Health workers to bring a little joy to frontline workers during difficult times. They look forward to seeing continued growth in their corporate partnerships, and the opportunity to work with additional businesses in the area to stock breakrooms or shops with Mosby’s Popcorn!
While they have closed their Kentwood location to help ease financial pressure and eliminate the commute, you can visit them during their store hours in downtown Grand Rapids. You can also order popcorn delivered straight to your house through several third-party apps like UberEats, GrubHub and DoorDash. If you live within a 10-mile radius of the store and are interested in placing a $50+ order, your popcorn might even be delivered by a member of the Mosby family!
MOSBY’S POPCORN: NOW SHOWING AT BRIDGE STREET MARKET
In 2018, Mosby’s Popcorn connected with Bridge Street Market through the MSU Innovation Center, and their first foray into wholesale popcorn was born! This partnership has been a great opportunity for the family, as well as Bridge Street Market shoppers looking to fill their cart with tasty, locally sourced gourmet popcorn.
You can find 4 flavors lining the shelves in Bridge Street Market:
Chi-Mix
Grand Rapids Beer Cheese
Buffalo Ranch
Cinnamon French Toast – A kettle corn seasoned with cinnamon and sugar.
With their focus on growth and sustainability, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Mosby’s Popcorn!