Asheboro Popcorn thrives in new Seagrove home

SEAGROVE — When Asheboro Popcorn Co. moved to Seagrove, who would have thought that business would be better?

“We have parking here and a community of artisans sending people to us,” said Sara Holden, owner of the popcorn specialty shop. “It’s been really nice. Our customers don’t have to deal with downtown (Asheboro),” where the shop at 156 S. Fayetteville St. only had street parking.

During a recent interview at her new shop at 318 N. Broad St., Seagrove, Holden was asked, “Why popcorn?” She said it started when she and her husband Greg were raising their three children in Elbridge, NY, just minutes from Syracuse.

“We took the kids every week to Syracuse Caramel Corn,” Holden said. “And Greg made popcorn at home in a sauce pan on the stove. My mother-in-law, Mary Nelson, showed me how to make caramel corn, using a paper bag and a microwave. We’ve grown from that.”

When the family moved to Asheboro, Sara taught school and Greg did woodworking. She eventually became kitchen certified with the NC Department of Agriculture as a home processor. That was in the spring of 2019.

“After five months, I got a call from Mary Murkin (owner of Brightside Gallery in Asheboro),” Holden said. “She said there was a space downtown, a great place for a shop.”

The space had been vacated by Creative Cakes. The Holdens leased it in August 2019 and she opened Asheboro Popcorn Co. on Oct. 1 of that year. Soon after, another space opened at 208 S. Fayetteville and they moved into the former Carolina Theater.

In that location, Holden started offering bagels as well as popcorn. “It was too much work,” she said, “and there were not enough workers. We dissolved Bagels LLC and concentrated on popcorn.”

With rising rents in Asheboro, the Holdens decided to move Asheboro Popcorn Co. to Seagrove, where Greg had bought a building for his cabinet shop. They learned that it was the first home of Midstate Plastics.

“It was going to be his space, but with the popcorn lease coming to an end, we said, ‘We have our own building. We don’t have to rent.’ ”

Asheboro Popcorn Co. at Seagrove offers all flavors of the crunchy treat. The shop also has nostalgic glass bottles of soda and 24 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream.

“People looking at pottery will come in to get ice cream and popcorn for the drive home,” Holden said. “We’re more comfortable in a small-town environment.”

Holden’s son, Isaiah, left college to be in the popcorn business. He also restores vintage cars, specializing in Datsuns.

Sara Holden said she will soon have two young ladies coming to work after they get out of school.

The Holdens have two daughters. Hannah who has her own successful sewing business. She designed an Asheboro Popcorn logo and a potter-friendly apron that wraps around the legs. Jacqueline is a junior at Uwharrie Charter Academy.

Besides walk-in customers, Asheboro Popcorn Co. offers shopping online at www.asheboropopcornco.com. Orders can be emailed at sara@asheboropopcornco.com or you can phone in or text orders at 336-465-0764.

The shop is open three days a week: Thursdays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.