Jessica O. Swink
Editor, Small Business Insight
Photo by Paul Chin, Jr.
We’ve all heard the adage: “If at first you don’t succeed, try again.”
If you are Jody Wagner, you try 53 times until you get the perfect recipe for ideal caramel corn. Today, one of her best-selling popcorn flavors is Recipe 53.
The journey to Recipe 53 began when she and her husband went to their son’s graduation from Northwestern University. Both Northwestern alums, the two recalled a caramel corn shop located around campus and stopped in for a visit. Jody Wagner then asked the question, “What’s wrong with Virginia Beach? We need something like this here!”
“My husband looked at me and said, ‘If you feel that strongly about it, then why don’t you do something about it?’” Wagner remembers. “So, I did!”
Wagner now has a storefront location at Virginia Beach Oceanfront, as well as an 8,000 square-foot facility where popcorn is prepared to ship all over the country. Her popcorn is also on sale at a growing number of retailers, such as Farm Fresh and Ukrops.
One of her favorite pastimes in owning the business is becoming a part of beach memories, and seeing repeat customers bring popcorn tins purchased in the store back for refills.
When asked about the challenges that women business owners may face, Wagner explains, “When a woman owns a business, it’s considered a hobby – especially in the food industry.” She challenges this stereotype by consistently coming up with new ideas and adding to her inventory. She shows no signs of slowing down, either.
In the upcoming three years, Wagner hopes to continue filling out her line of college popcorn, and tap into the wedding and corporate clients market. To handle this output, she plans to hire a director of operations and have enough work to require three shifts, increasing her ability to provide more jobs.
Regardless of how much the business grows, Wagner reflects on a time when corn syrup used for the caramel corn was purchased in one-gallon jars.
“Now it is purchased in 55-gallon drums!” she exclaims.
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