Ozark Mountain Popcorn is a Springfield staple, having been around for nearly 60 years through several owners and locations. Coming out of the tumultuous pandemic years, they find themselves busier than ever.
“We’ve pretty much grown every year since we’ve had it,” said Nick Swanson, the general manager of Ozark Mountain Popcorn and son of owners Phil and Marilyn Swanson, who bought the business in 1997.
From Eureka Springs to Phillipsburg, Ozark Mountain Popcorn is well integrated into the Ozarks
While their small retail storefront on South Glenstone, which is connected to their entire operation, makes up a significant amount of their business, their wholesale accounts can be found throughout the region.
And a lot of their success has been with limited advertising and marketing, according to Nick Swanson.
“The main thing we focus on is just making a really good product and taking good care of our customers,” he said. “I mean, our customers are our best sales force. They sell each other on stuff when they're in here.”
Their popcorn is provided as an amenity for hotels and resorts, and sold at candy and gift shops around the Ozarks. Ozark Mountain Popcorn is available for purchase from Eureka Springs, Arkansas all the way to Phillipsburg, Missouri, at the Interstate 44 roadside attraction Redmon’s Candy Factory.
“We’re really busy with that in the spring through the fall,” Swanson said.
While November and December are by far their busiest months, their wholesale operations have helped them find a way to stay busy year round, with the exception of January through mid February, when Swanson described business as “flat.”
Chiefs Super Bowl run a chance to sell team-colored popcorn flavors
But events like the upcoming Super Bowl give them an opportunity in what is otherwise a relatively slow season.
As football fans ceremoniously plan their Super Bowl spread of wings, pizza and various dips, Ozark Mountain Popcorn could provide an unconventional snack to the sporting event.
Particularly, their flavors that appeal to Kansas City Chiefs fans. Their “Kansas City Mix” is a blend of caramel, cheddar cheese and cinnamon, while their “M’homies Mix,” named after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, combines cherry and lemon.
While these flavors, and many of their others — including candied jalapeno, banana and dill pickle — allow them to get creative and add to their legacy, classics like butter, caramel and cheese remain their bestsellers.
“I could have 1,000 flavors and those will always be the top three because that’s just what everybody knows,” Swanson said.
Despite recent rough patches, things are ‘pretty good’ right now
Between the 2008 financial crisis, the pandemic beginnings during the second quarter of 2020 and the labor shortages of 2022, Ozark Mountain Popcorn has dealt with their share of rough patches, having ultimately made it through.
For example, in 2020, their Christmas sales were so good that they made up for the financial pains that came along with the early days of the pandemic. And, even amidst their own staffing shortages in 2022, they were able to rely on a handful of employees to get them through the holiday season.
“We've been pretty blessed to have a pretty good core staff,” Swanson said.
Swanson said he has a friend that also runs a seasonal business that needs more hands in the summertime. Conveniently, it has helped them both to have the necessary staff during their respective “busy seasons” while helping keep the staff employed year-round.
Ozark Mountain Popcorn’s kernels are grown at Fancy Farm Popcorn Co. in Bernie,Missouri, which is located near the Bootheel. They also try to source as much of their other products as locally as possible, with some of their flavorings coming from Goodmans Flavorings, based out of Marshfield.
