From caramel to dill pickle and everything in between, Mom's Popcorn in Greeley offers up tasty snacks that pair perfectly with a cozy night in
Rebecca Victor stands behind the counter in her family-owned shop, Mom’s Popcorn, in downtown Greeley. Open since January 2020, the shop sells 48 flavors of kettle popped corn. Choose from sweet, sugar-glazed, savory or chocolate varieties. Photo by Emily Kemme.
By Emily Kemme
Popcorn never really goes out of season. But as temperatures drop and darkness falls at five o’clock, it’s delightful to get cozy on the couch with someone you care about. Snuggle beneath a fuzzy blanket, settle in for a night of movie watching — and let popcorn steal the show.
Growing up on a farm in Nebraska, Rebecca Victor said there was always popcorn at home. It’s also where she learned about the different varieties: there’s field corn (called dent, because of the dent formed in the dried kernels) for feeding livestock, and sweet corn, which is harvested soft before maturity, making it perfect for slathering with butter and eating straight off the cob. But popcorn kernels are meant for popping, and until they’re popped, they stay rock hard, Victor said.
There are also different popping kernel types: white, yellow or mushroom predominate.
When Victor and her husband, Michael, decided to open Mom’s Popcorn, a family owned and operated business dedicated to the art of gourmet corn popping, Rebecca chose white corn because it pops into tender, crispy blossoms with fewer hulls. In addition to its texture, that means there are less hulls to pry out from between your teeth.
While white corn is, in her opinion, the tastiest, it’s delicate. It requires year-round irrigation, making it one of the harder varieties to grow.
The Victors started their first Mom’s Popcorn ten years ago in Fremont, Nebraska, before moving to Greeley and branching out with their second store, which opened its doors in January 2020. They still make the long drive back to Nebraska at least four times a year to source kernels. Victor estimated they haul back nearly 5,000 pounds a year, and more if there are special events.
Mom’s Popcorn in downtown Greeley opened in January 2020. The shop sells 48 flavors of kettle popped corn, including sweet, sugar-glazed, savory or chocolate varieties. Buy them bagged, or choose from decorated gift boxes and carrying bags. Photo by Emily Kemme.
The Victors’ shop has six popcorn machines, but they’re nothing fancy, Victor noted, just the kind you’d see at a concession stand. But because of the variety of flavors the store sells, one machine is reserved for white kernels, one pops salted flavors, and the others handle the sugar-glazed corn.
Out of 48 flavors total, Mom’s offers over ten sweet flavors, including caramel, buttery maple, caramel apple, raspberry white chocolate and even a Mexican chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. Sugar-coated, these are initially popped with a sugar glaze that hardens, creating a crunchy candy shell over the corn that gives it great shelf life and stability, Victor said.
As much as it might seem like sweet-toothed folks would dominate her customer base, she said her dill pickle flavor is consistently the number one seller.
“People like dill pickles. Just like sunflower seeds or chips, I created a mix and people love it.”
Other savory flavors dreamed up by Rebecca and Michael — and then turned into powders to sprinkle on the corn — pack equal punch and uniqueness. Walking into their shop creates a dilemma. How do you choose between popcorn that actually tastes like a hint of lime, a grilled cheeseburger, bacon jalapeño poppers or a loaded baked potato? Samples are free, but that might only serve to confuse your palate. Best bet: buy them all.
Mom’s is sold in a range of sizes, starting with samples (3 cups) up to large (25 cups). Victor said sample bags come in a little sleeve, making them ideal for events and employee appreciation days. It’s a great way to acknowledge a favorite teacher or just brighten up anyone’s day.
There are also hand packed gift boxes, party boxes and burlap bags, each one unique and tied with ribbon. Christmas boxes are hand-wrapped with a bow and ornament. Any gift can be customized.
Celebrating a birthday? Make it memorable with a popcorn cake: customize it with your choice of flavors, and the shop can mix in candies and cookies — drizzle it with chocolate to seal the deal. Cakes come pre-cut in small, large and a 4-slice personal version.
If you’re serving a crowd, popcorn bars — they’re like balls, except they’re shaped into squares — offer limitless options. Mom’s makes their bars fresh daily.
Stop in and sample the flavors. It’ll be tough to choose your favorite — in fact, popcorn seems to be one of those mix and match sorts of snacks. How about dill pickle, spicy queso, and cheddar bacon, finished up with s’mores?
It almost sounds like dinner is served.
How to get Mom’s Popcorn in Greeley
Where: 916 9th Ave. in Greeley
Hours: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Contact: (970) 515-5376 | Mom’s Popcorn