Five years ago, sisters BJ McClellan and Beth Boettcher had an idea for a small business. We wanted to create our own brand of handmade gourmet specialty popcorn using product from the JOLLY TIME family business. Our great-great-grandfather, Cloid H. Smith, founded JOLLY TIME in 1914. Then our Papa, Wrede Smith, was president of JOLLY TIME for thirty-five years and made JOLLY TIME into a household name.
Our entire family has many fond memories based around popcorn. We spent many hours in the kitchen making caramel corn, popcorn balls, and other delicious treats with our mom, Robbie Rohlena. Whether it was popping a bag in the microwave, visiting our Papa at the plant, or making specialty popcorn for holiday gifts, JOLLY TIME was the basis of it all.
In the summer of 2011, we decided to continue to popcorn tradition and founded JOLLY TIME Koated Kernels. First we sold our specially crafted popcorn at the Sioux City farmer’s market. We quickly gained popularity and outgrew our kitchen. Now BJ and Robbie sell over 20 flavors of popcorn out of our own Retail Shoppe! Our loyal customers enjoy having a permanent, convenient location to buy their favorite popcorn treat. The Koated Kernels Shoppe also includes the JOLLY TIME Museum, which displays 100 years of treasured memorabilia and Smith family relics.
The secret ingredient to our popcorn is really no secret at all. It starts with the perfect kernel of butterfly popcorn. Small and crispy the butterfly popcorn never loses its crunchy texture. Then all of the 20+ mouth-watering flavors are made with fine ingredients, stirred by hand, and baked fresh daily. Flavors include an assortment of specialty recipes like Cinnamon Roll, Birthday Cake, or Raspberry Cheesecake. Visitors can also find cheese recipes and classic recipes like Classic Caramel (made with love in honor of Papa).
Our Papa always said “If you are going to do something, do it right.” We keep this in mind every time we create a new recipe, testing it time and again until we’re confident we have a product he would be proud of! Whether you are looking for a new, favorite snack or ordering a gift, visitors are sure to fall in love with this family-owned, honest treat. Check out our extensive list of mouth-watering flavors and products!
Koated Kernels Retail Shoppe
1717 Terminal Drive, Sioux City, IA 51105
HOURS:
Monday – Friday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Sunday: Closed
EMAIL: koatedkernels@hotmail.com
PHONE: 712-560-6973
