During her high school years, Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn Owner Ginger Frank spent time away from her Florida home at her parents’ summer cabin in WNC. Having fallen in love with the area, she relocated to Asheville with her children.

Raising her kids as a single parent, Frank considered running her own business in an effort to have control over her schedule. From this desire for autonomy, she brainstormed ideas, looking at what amenities were available around town. Always being a popcorn lover, she decided to open a popcorn shop, and Poppy Popcorn was born.

“That’s all I imagined Poppy to be at the time,” Frank said. “Where Poppy sits today is so different than what I ever imagined."

Poppy began modestly in October 2014, initially envisioning a simple popcorn shop; however, the holiday season brought unexpected demand. At that time, Frank was making, bagging, and shipping popcorn all over the country —  all by herself. Continued requests for popcorn shipments led to Frank researching shelf-life extension and exploring wholesale opportunities. Once she felt comfortable with those aspects, she attended her first trade show and the whole business model shifted.

Despite Poppy's success, the pandemic forced Frank to close the shop temporarily, though it also provided an opportunity to reflect on the future direction of the business. Recognizing the potential for growth in the wholesale market, Frank made the decision to expand Poppy's production capacity and explore new distribution channels.

“Right now about 15% of our sales are direct-to-consumer,” Frank said. “That’s completely the opposite of what I intended in the first place. It’s always been my dream to have a shop again because it’s such a big part of how Poppy began. Still, to this day, I get calls from people in Asheville asking when we’re going to open another shop.”

While another shop may still be a dream, Poppy’s wholesale focus continues to expand. Many of her customers are small, independent stores and gift shops, as well as hotels. The business is tiptoeing its way into the grocery realm, and Frank said that’s probably where they’ll see the biggest growth over the next five years. 

For the past 10 years, Poppy’s sales have been limited to their production capacity. Still making popcorn in very small batches in a 7,800-square-foot facility, the team is currently working on a new 45,000-square-foot production facility to accommodate projected growth.

“I had to stop and think about what I want for our team and how there can be room for all of us to grow, rather than just me growing,” Frank said. “I took some time to talk to my team, many of whom have been with me from the beginning, and asked what they wanted to do with the business. We were sort of at this crossroads, and we collectively decided to go for it. We can grow Poppy as big as we can grow it.”

During her last 10 years, Frank has participated in mentorship programs like Venture Asheville and forged connections with some of her fellow WNC entrepreneurs — a supportive community that has been instrumental in Poppy's success. As she prepares to embark on the next phase of Poppy's journey, Frank remains grateful for the lessons learned and the unwavering support of those who have been part of her entrepreneurial journey.

Poppy’s full-time staff of 48, including the first and second full-time employees ever hired by Frank, work together not only in production, but also in collaboration and dialogue while brainstorming ideas and supporting each other through this journey. 

“It’s not always a rosy ride, but we definitely feel like we’ve grown up together,” Frank said. “When I think I’ve been through it all, even on the worst days, there’s a level of trust with my team that’s so important for getting through the kind of growth and changes we’ve seen over the last 10 years. Coming this far with such a dedicated team, I feel such a sense of pride and accomplishment, not just for myself, but for all of us.”