Unique Gift Ideas for Father’s Day: Part 4

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Welcome back for another exciting week of Unique Father’s Day Gifts!

If finding the perfect gift for dad seems like it’s always the hardest thing to do, keep checking back with us! We have great gift ideas that Dad will both love and be impressed with… let’s jump in!

Unique Father’s Day Gift Idea Idea # 4: An Outing with Dear Ol’ Dad!

fathers day MLB sports tinAnyone can buy a gift, but it’s the special touches you put to it that make it a gift truly worth giving. For this Father’s Day, make your gift really count with your own personal touch and time. We know that dad is sure to love his new tie, coffee mug, or Nook, but we bet what he would love most is some quality time spent together this summer.

Summertime usually means barbeques, fishing, enjoying the great outdoors, and most importantly for sports fans, summer baseball games! Baseball is the great American-pastime, a time to enjoy the great weather, eat hot dogs and peanuts until you’re stuffed and watching a bunch of guys hit a leather ball with a stick! Okay, admittedly some of us don’t really understand the whole idea behind baseball and really only attend for the food and crowd, but we know Dad would really enjoy!

So if your dad is the biggest sports buff you know, secure two tickets for you and Pop to catch his favorite MLB team play. As a local Chicagoland company, we’ll let our Dads battle it out over which team to see between the Cubs and White Sox!

Secure your tickets now and see when your local team is playing here.

Make the gift a full package and combine it with a shirt or jersey from Dad’s favorite team, and let’s not forget a tin of his soon to be favorite gourmet popcorn in a decorated MLB sports tin!

fathers day MLB sports tinIs your Dad a Northsider or Southsider? Still basking in the Cardinals win? Never missing a Rangers’ game on TV? We’ve got all the MLB sports tins he needs that are packed with fresh gourmet popcorn in our traditional three flavors. His mouth will water with our real butter, cheese and secret recipe caramel popcorn combination. Plus, when he’s finished his gourmet treat, he can reuse his MLB designed tin for years to come!

Check out our whole collection here.

Have a Happy Father’s Day from The Popcorn Factory! And don’t forget to Celebrate Deliciously. 

Unique Father’s Day Gift Ideas: Part 3

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Welcome back for another exciting week of Unique Father’s Day Gifts!

If finding the perfect gift for dad seems like it’s always the hardest thing to do, keep checking back with us! We have great gift ideas that Dad will both love and be impressed with… let’s jump in!

Unique Father’s Day Gift Idea Idea # 3: Puzzles!

fathers day gift ideas This week’s gift idea for Dad was a real “head-scratcher” for us to come up with, but it might be our favorite one yet. For the Dad who loves a good brainstorming session, we think a gift theme of puzzles, Sudoku and scrambles would be the perfect unique gift for Father’s Day!

If your Father doesn’t give up his morning paper until the crossword is completely finished (even though it’s already been two days…), or if you can always find Dad on his favorite chair completing another Sudoku in his spare time,  take our great gift advice and put together a gift set that Dad will truly love this Father’s Day.

First up are these crossword puzzle coasters from The New York Times store. This gift includes four coasters made from a rustic marble tile and screen printed with a puzzle edited by Will Shortz. Dad will love to have these nearby for his morning coffee or afternoon tea while he’s solving his daily puzzles.

What kind of puzzle gift for Dad would this be without any puzzle books to choose from? We like “Will Shortz Presents The Little Black Book of Sudoku” and “The New York Times Little Black (and White) Book of Crosswords” which can both be found on Amazon.com.

fathers day gift ideasTurn this gift into something that can be enjoyed with the whole family and include the classically fun board game Scrabble! This vintage looking game set is at Target for only $20!

Of course if you really want something the whole family can enjoy, our favorite Father’s Day gifts this season would be our 3-Flavor Popcorn Puzzle Tins! We have puzzle gift tins for crossword, Sudoku, and word jumble. And all tins are filled with our delightfully delicious 3-flavor combination of real butter, cheese and secret recipe caramel popcorn. We guarantee it will end up being Dad’s favorite part of his Father’s Day gift.

puzzle tin gifts for dad fathers dayCheck back with us again next week for another great Fathers Day gift idea! 

Unique Gifts for Father’s Day: Part 2

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fathers day gift popcorn pal samplerWelcome back for another exciting week of Unique Father’s Day Gifts!

If finding the perfect gift for dad seems like it’s always the hardest thing to do, keep checking back with us! We have great gift ideas that Dad will both love and be impressed with… let’s jump in!

Unique Father’s Day Gift Idea #2: Father’s Day Weekend Camping 

We know you’re brainstorming some great gifts for Dad right now, but we bet the best gift for Father’s Day (and really any time) is some quality time spent together, and we have the perfect gift idea. Enjoy the summer and celebrate a great Father’s Day by going out camping! If your Pop is a big outdoors type or just needs a little vacation, a weekend of camping will be the perfect gift for him.

Pick a camping spot that is more suited to Dad’s interests. Does he enjoy fishing or swimming? Does he like to hike or go on long walks? Is he more of a sit-around-the-campfire-and-relax kind of guy? Check out this national list of campgrounds and see which ones are closest to you and what they offer: here. Once you have a campground picked, the rest of the fun ideas should follow as well as what to pack!

No matter where you decide to go, it’s best to always be prepared. Below is our Top 10 list of Items to Bring While Camping:

  1. Tent or Shelter: Obviously.
  2. Food: We have a few tasty ideas for this category later J
  3. Sleeping bag & blankets: Even though it’s summer, the cool night air is usually a little crisper when you’re in the great outdoors!
  4. Cot: This could go with sleeping bags, but a cot will help you get a better night’s sleep while also keeping bugs away
  5. Lantern & Flashlights: Unless you’ve somehow gained night vision…
  6. Fresh clothes: You may be temporarily living in nature, but there’s no reason to for-go a clean pair of shorts!
  7. Folding chairs: Comfy for sitting around the campfire and a good place to relax after a long hike.
  8. Cellphone or two-way radio: I don’t think anyone goes without their cellphones anymore, but in case of an emergency, it’s always nice to have. The radio will come in handy if you lose signal on your cell.
  9. First-Aid-Kit: Another “obviously”.
  10. Toiletries: Toilet paper, mouth wash, and the whole works.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a great Father’s Day camping trip without some of our delicious gourmet popcorn! We suggest any one of our best-selling popcorn tins. The tins are perfect to keep our popcorn snacks and treats fresh, bug-free, and scent-free from other critters that come your way! Plus, you can reuse the tins for storage or to help you pack up your belongings when it’s time to leave.

fathers day gift pick a fill gourmet popcorn tin Our Father’s Day Gift Picks:

Check back with us next week for another Unique Father’s Day Gift Idea!

Unique Gift Ideas for Father’s Day: Part 1

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Welcome Back,

It’s time to dive into summer! We can’t wait for the constant warm weather, sunshine and another holiday to celebrate our other very important parent: Dad. If finding the perfect gift for dad seems like it’s always the hardest thing to do, keep check back with us! We have great gift ideas that Dad will both love and be impressed with… let’s jump in!

zig zag popcorn samplerUnique Father’s Day Gift Idea #1: Father’s Day Summer Movie Kit

If there is one thing we love about summer, it would definitely be the great summer blockbusters hitting the screen every weekend. We may be biased, but nothing goes better together than a great movie and some delicious popcorn. For this Father’s Day, put together a fun and delicious kit with all of Dad’s favorite movie snacks, his favorite Popcorn Factory popcorn, and a movie he’s sure to love!

Order our Zig-Zag Sampler that includes creamy vanilla caramels, sour hard candies, chocolate chip cookies, dry roast peanuts, assorted Jelly Belly® beans, and a delicious popcorn trio of robust Cheese, White Cheddar and Almond Pecan corn with whole almonds and pecans tossed in a buttery glaze. Pair this with a movie theater gift card from your local theater with a promise to go see a movie with Dear ol’ Dad.

Or you could try our Movie Night Scoop Boxes, which come in a set of two, with all-natural Butter popcorn, red licorice twists, malted milk balls, gummy bears and Kiddy Mix candies. Pair this with a movie theater gift card or a new DVD/Blue-Ray movie that he is sure to love! Our Popcorn Bowl & Snacks gift will definitely ensure a great movie night at home and includes all-natural Butter, robust Cheese and secret-recipe Caramel corn, red licorice, Jelly Belly® beans, chocolate chip cookies and creamy, foil-wrapped chocolates. Fathers day movie popcorn gifts

Our Ultimate Dad DVD/Blue-Ray Movie Picks:

In Theater Picks:

Check back with us next week for another Unique Father’s Day Gift Idea! 

The Popcorn Factory FUNdraiser Program

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fundraisingFor the last 30 years, The Popcorn Factory has been the leader in providing fun and delicious popcorn treats that bring a smile to all who try them. We’ve stayed on top because we love what we do and aren’t afraid to try new ideas; which is why we’re proud to present to all of our fans, our new 2012 FUNdraising Program!

Our people pleasing popcorn snacks are already enjoyed for their premium taste and quality, but now you can share and enjoy these treats while receiving 25-50% profit for your organization or charity!

So what should you do to ensure a successful fundraiser?

  • Plan early and set a goal! Taking the time to work on your fundraiser gives you the opportunity for success, especially when you have realistic goals to work for.
  • Make a list of reliable volunteers! You need people who are just as excited and dedicated to making your fundraiser effective.  Choose those who you know have the time and ability to put in the hard work with you during your endeavors.
  • Consider year round fundraising! We’re sure your initial fundraiser will be a hit, so continue the cause and make some customers very happy that they can refill their orders, or bring smiles to new faces!
  • Maximize your opportunities at events! Our delicious popcorn is the perfect snack for school and sporting events, you’ll find a lot of happy customers and be able to reach your goals.
  • Most importantly…Make it fun!

fundraisingIt’s simple: Choose from our FUNdraising gift selections in either our gift items like gift tins, snack assortments, and Clear Favorites popcorn canisters or select from our gourmet individual bags of popcorn flavors or our famous gourmet popcorn balls. With supplies this delicious, they’ll certainly go fast! Once they’re sold, your gifts can be shipped directly to you for distribution or to the recipients for an easy process. You earn 25% profit from our Gift Item collection sales, and 50% profit from our gourmet popcorn bags and gourmet popcorn balls!

Of course we can’t resist offering great deals; you can receive a 50% discount on an 18 pack case of gourmet popcorn bags, or a 100 pack case of gourmet popcorn balls!

Check out our FUNdraising page here and see how you can get started on helping your organization!

 

National Caramel Popcorn Day

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caramel popcornIt’s here, one of our favorite days! Happy National Caramel Popcorn Day! 

We take our caramel popcorn very seriously around here. As one of our top flavors that has been the inspiration for so many of our wonderful popcorn treats, a lot of love and labor goes into making our secret recipe caramel popcorn. First we…well, we can’t actually tell you that part! And then we…hmm we can’t tell you that part either. What we can tell you is that we use a super special secret recipe for our caramel, and we keep this recipe in a very safe location that only four people can access! I guess we can tell you one little secret: we use real butter in our recipe (shhh…don’t tell anyone!).

smores popcornWe love our caramel recipe so much, that many of the other recipes we’ve created over the past several years have been based on our caramel recipe. Some regular and season flavors include our caramel apple popcorn (with REAL apple pieces), almond pecan, butter toffee and butter toffee almond, banana cream pie popcorn, chocolate caramel, our fan-favorite s’mores popcorn, and thai peanut to name a few.

Did you know that The Popcorn Factory makes roughly 2 million pounds of caramel corn each year? And of that 2 million pounds, 1,700,000 pounds is caramel and 300,000 pounds is corn. We have special equipment that allows us to make more than 1000 pounds of caramel corn per hour. This equates to about 17 pounds every minute! We also have a team of people dedicated to ensuring that the first pound of caramel popcorn is as high in quality as the 2 millionth. People really love their caramel popcorn, and we’re certainly at the top of that list!

So how should you celebrate your National Caramel Popcorn Day? Deliciously of course! But here’s a few pointers anyway. 

  • Combine your caramel corn with sliced apples for a sweet and refreshing treat
  • Do a traditional “Chicago Mix” and combine caramel corn with cheese popcorn!
  • Make caramel popcorn crispy treats with melted butter and marshmallows

We’ll be celebrating all day, so check our Facebook page and website and join in the fun!

 

 

Made In the USA Popcorn

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 Welcome back Popcorn fans

To say that popcorn is our passion would be a huge understatement. Here at The Popcorn Factory we live, breathe, (and most importantly) eat popcorn! From the moment an idea “pops” into our head to the time our delicious popcorn gift reaches your door, we’re working hard to supply you with the best tasting popcorn and fun popcorn gifts that could be imagined. We care about each gift tin design, material, natural flavors, down to each individual kernel; we track it all. And we’re able to keep track of every last popcorn kernel and stay with it throughout the entire process because our popcorn is popped fresh from corn grown in the USA!

made in the usa popcorn america

Made in the USA popcorn

Being an Illinois popcorn store, we know that the United States is the leading provider of the best corn all over the world. When popping over 1 million pounds of popcorn per year, we know we have to look for the best. So why would we ever want to travel far when we have premium corn in our own backyard? This is why we’re proud to display our “Made in the USA” flag banner at the top of our website!

The Popcorn Factory is a Made in the USA kind of business. Our corn is grown here on American soil and taken to our facility in Lake Forest, Illinois for popping using 100% corn oil and infusions of the tastiest and natural flavoring! At our facility, you’ll find the creative behind our fresh popcorn gifts working to make even more fun and enjoyable popcorn gifts for you. Here, you’ll also find our many kettles of natural flavoring, our expert popping machines and workers bringing you the best popcorn gifts around.

Even the gift tins your delicious popcorn treat come in are important to us. Our 3 flavor, 4 flavor and single flavor popcorn tins are a “100% Made in the USA” gift, perfect for holding our 100% Made in the USA popcorn! In addition, all of our gifts are assembled and distributed from our Lake Forest facility.

For the last 30 years, The Popcorn Factory has been the “popcorn authority” with our remarkable collection of popcorn gifts and unique popcorn flavors. We’re committed to our standard of excellence in providing the best and freshest popcorn and popcorn gifts. We guarantee complete satisfaction, from a “Made in the USA” company you can trust!

Happy Popping!

 

National Popcorn Day

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National Popcorn DayHello Popcorn Fans!

Today is National Popcorn Day and we couldn’t be happier! We’ve been working hard to come up with some great new popcorn gifts that will make any popcorn lover POP with excitement.

It’s no secret that we love popcorn, but what we love more than popcorn is being able to share all of our delicious popcorn flavors and popcorn gifts with other fellow popcorn lovers. When you’re at The Popcorn Factory, popcorn is your life. Every day is National Popcorn Day for us, and we wouldn’t have it any other way! We have our traditional favorite popcorn flavors like our natural butter popcorn, cheese popcorn made with real cheese, our secret recipe caramel popcorn (a real winner!), and our savory white cheddar popcorn, all ready to delight any lucky popcorn recipient.

What sets The Popcorn Factory apart from all the other popcorn makers out there is our ingenuity and daringness to go out there and create the perfect popcorn flavor perfect for any and all popcorn connoisseurs! Our jalapeno flavored popcorn has flavor that’s packed with a punch, but everyone who has ever tried it counts it among their favorite popcorn flavors. The buffalo ranch flavored popcorn is delightfully zingy and will leave you wanting more. There will never be another need for chips when you taste our cracked pepper flavored popcorn. And once you get to our savory ginger teriyaki flavored popcorn, it will be hard to find another snack you want other than our innovative popcorn flavors!

National Popcorn DayOf course, what kind of National Popcorn Day would it be without a delectable helping of some of our very best sweet popcorn creations? For chocolate lovers out there, try our decadent Drizzled Caramel Corn, made with our secret recipe caramel popcorn with chocolate generously drizzled over…it’s positively sinful. Our s’mores popcorn is unparalleled in flavor and great ideas put to test. You’ll never want to go camping or sit around a fire without our s’mores popcorn at your side. Have we mentioned that The Popcorn Factory’s kettle corn is the best around? We use old-fashioned copper kettles to give it that perfect, uncompromising taste that made it one of the most popular popcorn flavors to begin with! Our newer dark chocolate and sea salt popcorn is basically the stuff all popcorn dreams are made of. Taking our secret recipe caramel popcorn and covering it with dark chocolate and a helpful sprinkle of gourmet sea salt, it becomes the perfect combination of sweet and savory and everything you’ve been looking for in the perfect popcorn flavor. There’s something especially sweet about our peanut brittle popcorn. Sure it’s rich and buttery taste, mixed with a candy crunch is completely irresistible, but what makes it even sweeter is that it’s a Popcorn Factory family special recipe. A premium treat in itself, our almond pecan popcorn is a real prize for any popcorn enthusiast. Combining our favorite secret recipe caramel popcorn and an array of almonds and pecans, this popcorn flavor perfects a sweet and buttery taste. We could never forget about our red-hot and delicious cinnamon popcorn flavor, and neither will you after you’ve tried it!

The Popcorn Factory has been the leading popcorn innovators for the last 30 years. We live, eat, and breathe popcorn. When we create our new popcorn flavors, we do it for all the other popcorn lovers out there, and especially for those who don’t know that they’re popcorn lovers yet! Celebrate National Popcorn Day with us deliciously and try out on the best popcorn flavors that anyone has to offer. We know you’ll find your favorite and will continue on our journey with us to find the perfect popcorn treat!

Happy National Popcorn Day, everyone! Enjoy Deliciously.

 

College Care Packages for Finals

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Hello Popcorn Pals!

The Holiday season is upon us! That means the family is home and together, everyone sitting around the fireplace, cups of hot cocoa, building snowmen, warm sweaters and slippers, and watching holiday movies around the clock…that is, after college finals are over.

Probably the most stressful time of the winter season (next to visiting that one weird aunt), college semester finals are a time when most students will be lucky if they even have the time or energy to get in one good meal. Late night study sessions will extend far later than any campus convenience store stays open, and they’ll need something to refuel with when they get that study break craving. Help out your scholar and send them a light, fun snack that they’ll enjoy!

college care package survival kit popcorn gift tin snack assortment

College Survival Kit Popcorn Snack Tin $29.99; Product code: C3420C

Our popcorn makes the perfect college study break treat. Light, fluffy, and packed with flavor; a few (or more!) handfuls of this treat won’t leave studiers feeling sluggish or too full to concentrate. Plus, they’re great for sharing with a large study group or college roommates. We like to think we’ve perfected the perfect college snack for those final study breaks, with our college survival snack gift tins. Not only do we offer our delicious popcorn flavors in butter, cheese, or secret recipe caramel, we also throw in mouthwatering chocolate chip cookies, savory chips, chocolates, and various candies. All of the essential treats to make your college gift that much sweeter!

These college care packages won’t break the bank either! With a majority of college gifts ranging from $19.99 to $39.99, you can make sure your college kid is eating a tasty snack without having to take out another loan for it. Our exclusively decorated tins and containers can be reused again and again for storage, snack, or even decoration.

Don’t miss out on showing school pride either. Check to see if your college has partnered up with us for a specially decorated tin donning the school colors and mascot! They make for the perfect accessory at any tailgating party or in the stands snack.

College gear popcorn gift tins Illinois Georgia North Carolina Virginia Michigan
College Popcorn Gift Tins

Order your college care packages soon, and let your hard-working college student know that you’re thinking of them…and their snack time!

Thanksgiving Traditions

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The Holiday season is in full swing for us at The Popcorn Factory, and certainly with you too! We’re planning so many great things for Thanksgiving and our Winter Holidays that we can’t wait to share them with all of you.

Of course, all of our attention and focus right now is on one of our favorite Holidays: Thanksgiving. Being the popcorn and Holiday savvy poppers we are, we know that Thanksgiving and popcorn go hand in hand!

Popcorn was around for the very first Thanksgiving Day dinner in Plymouth, Massachusetts (and was a sure-fire hit if we do say!) Bags of popped corn were brought to the first Thanksgiving feast as a gift from the chief’s brother. Native Americans made popcorn by holding an oiled ear of corn on a stick over fire and then eating the popped corn off of the ear! Colonists later incorporated popcorn into their daily meals and began using popcorn with milk or cream, and sugar, making it the first known breakfast cereal! (I bet our secret recipe caramel popcorn or kettle corn would be perfect to try this way!) This is just another example of popcorn leading the way in tasty snacks and meals.

Popcorn is the ultimate Thanksgiving tradition, so why not make it apart of yours? Light, fluffy, and made with delicious and innovating flavors, our popcorn complements any occasion or meal. You can enjoy our real buttery popcorn as a before-dinner snack while you’re watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Chomp down on our natural cheese popcorn without ruining your appetite, as you watch and root for the Packers or Lions, Dolphins or Cowboys, and the 49ers or Ravens! (Not to brag, but we hear our popcorn tastes even greater than a win when coming from one of our many NFL popcorn tins that we offer).

Just finished a huge Thanksgiving dinner but you still want dessert? Our secret recipe caramel popcorn makes the perfect post-Thanksgiving dinner dessert. This buttery and sweet combination is a super satisfying treat and goes perfectly with any turkey, potato, or green dish (plus, who are we to shake up a several century’s long tradition of popcorn at Thanksgiving!) Simple and tasty to eat, without putting a strain on an already full stomach!

We’ve been popping since 1979 with fresh, fun, and delicious popcorn flavors, so let us be your popcorn experts this Thanksgiving holiday and get a great snack that you can be thankful for!