She Keeps It Poppin - Khadijah Polly

Kay’s Kettle Corn

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Khadijah Polly

Who doesn’t love popcorn? For Khadijah Polly, that question is one she is always eager and prepared to answer. Khadijah owns Kay’s Kettle Corn, an African-American and female business based in Houston, TX. “Our popcorn is fresh and popped right after you order it,” Khadijhah says. “Kay’s Kettle Corn is made with four simple ingredients: popcorn, sugar, canola oil, and sea salt, and is perfect for when you’re craving a sweet, salty, and crunchy snack.”

Khadijah is a native of Los Angeles, California. There, she attended the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and graduated in 1999. Her next move landed her at Grambling State University, a Historically Black College and University in Grambling, Louisiana. HBCU’s are known for putting out exceptional students that personify the meaning of black excellence, and Khadijah was sure to keep the tradition in motion. She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing in Spring 2003 and became a member of the renowned Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Kay’s Kettle Corn is a gourmet popcorn company that provides two popcorn flavors for parties and events. Their signature kettle corn is sweet and salty and is typically found at carnivals and festivals. The second one is their movie theater popcorn.

When not popping popcorn, Khadijah has been able to author an ebook called POPCOINS- How To Make $500 a Month With a Home-Based Popcorn Business. She also serves as a speaker, covering topics of empowerment and entrepreneurship, and as a specialty foods business coach. She also facilitates a workshop designed for schools called Popcorn CEO’s (Children’s Economic Opportunities). “Our workshop teaches entrepreneurship based on the principles of supply chain management while using a popcorn company as the business example,” Khadijah says.

So, how did Khadijah get started? She says, “I’ve always been an entrepreneur, having some form of a side hustle. I’ve also always been a snacker, if I didn’t sell popcorn, I would probably sell chips. In 2012, I had a bridal resale shop at a huge flea market in Houston. Out of hundreds of businesses in the flea market that could sell food were the owners; it was popcorn. That’s when I noticed there was money in concessions. I would see people eating it from these plain brown paper bags. No frills. One day, I was closing my shop and wanted some popcorn but didn’t want to walk on the other side of the flea market to get some, and I thought, surely I can make this. So I did. I went home, looked on YouTube, and found out how to make the popcorn indoors. The rest of the story is history.”

Khadijah shares that she loves being a part of people’s celebrations and the freedom and flexibility entrepreneurship provides.

Kay’s Kettle Corn is a family affair. “It’s all hands on deck whether the order is three bags or 30,000 bags; my family jumps right in to help every time, no matter what,” she says. She also shares that when she first started, she would get questions from people with similar interests in food. “They would follow me on social media or meet me in a networking event, and their eyes would light up when they heard my story and saw the progression. That’s when I wrote my ebook sharing my exact steps in what I did to get started, which then turned into coaching. I’ve mentored young entrepreneurs in Ghana who wanted to start their popcorn business. I’ve taught women in Northern Ghana how to make popcorn. The beauty of this popcorn business is that it’s easy to get started, the profit margins are great, the product is versatile in terms of flavoring, it keeps well, it’s inexpensive to start the business, and you can get repeat customers.”

When the Covid 19 pandemic hit, Khadijah had to pivot and think about her business model. At that time, her biggest clients were businesses and event planners, but she managed to survive that season of uncertainty. Also, deciding when to take on financing to scale has been challenging for Khadijah. “With additional debt comes a ton of responsibilities. I’ve had to ramp up marketing to get more customers to pay for the new equipment, additional production space, staff, etc. It’s a never-ending cycle, and as a free-spirited entrepreneur who likes to take off when I want, it’s something that I struggle with consistently.”

Moving forward, Khadijah says she plans to participate in major festivals, take her popcorn brand internationally, and become a vendor in soccer stadiums in African countries. “Popcorn is an inexpensive product and is very profitable when sold in large quantities. Some developing countries in Africa are wide open and welcoming to entrepreneurs. It’s a business model that can be taught to young entrepreneurs there,” she says.

For more information, please visit the website for Kay’s Kettle Corn.

www.kayskettlecorn.com