Microwave popcorn is a snack that’s been found in homes across America for decades, but not much has changed in the category since it first popped onto the scene. Occasionally, new flavors will come out, and sometimes new brands, but relatively speaking, it’s stayed the same.

Recently, microwave popcorn producer Opopop is out to shake up the category through a combination of novel varieties like Pickle Monster and proprietary technology that wraps the kernels in those innovative flavors. The brand’s disruptions have garnered the attention of consumers, talk show host Drew Barrymore, and retail giant Walmart. To learn more, we connected with Alex Medeiros, CEO of Opopop.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please tell me about flavor wrapping, and—without giving away company secrets—how it gives Opopop popcorn its flavor?

Alex Medeiros: First, it is a fun category to talk about. Most microwave popcorns rely on adding the flavor, oil, and seasoning either during or after the process of popping—that makes the experience often uneven and the flavor watered down. We developed a way to wrap flavor directly on the kernel, before it pops, so that it can pop evenly and intensely, providing a more consistent, intense, and overall better eating experience.

JS: I think when people picture flavored microwave popcorn, just a fraction of the seasoning that’s in the bag ends up on the actual popcorn. The rest stays in the bag or gets on your fingers. Oscar Isaac, the actor, hates getting stuff on his fingers, so when he eats snacks like cheese curls, he uses chopsticks.

AM: Well, it sounds like he wouldn’t need to do that with Opopop, because it’s integrated. It leaves your fingers less greasy, and that’s one of the things our fans recognize as one of the differences we have.

JS: How did you come up with the technology, and how did you take that idea from your brain to launching Opopop?

AM: The original idea came from wanting to improve the eating experience of microwave popcorn, not just adding new flavors. We realized the category hasn’t fundamentally changed over the past 40 years, so we focused on delivering flavor differently. You’ve seen the proliferation of flavors more in ready-to-eat, including celebrity backings and different kinds of unique flavors. You really haven't seen the same from microwave popcorn, so we wanted to focus on delivering flavor differently, and that led to developing the flavor app concept and building the brand around that innovation that's truly different.

JS: The company is growing, and it's done some interesting things, which we're going to get into. Can you tell us about that growth journey, milestones since you founded, high points, and lessons learned along the way? 

AM: We've grown primarily through direct-to-consumer over the past few years. We built a strong base of repeat customers and a lot of organic momentum. Direct-to-consumer also gives us the ability to have one-on-one relationships with customers, which is awesome for engagement and continued relationships. One of the biggest lessons is that it's given real product differentiation, especially in a category like microwave popcorn, where consumers haven’t been seeing a lot of real innovation—not just new flavors, but real innovation. We also sell on Amazon, and recently we started expanding into retail. We just entered all Walmart stores, so we're very excited about that new phase of the company.

JS: You’ve got a fun mix of flavors—some you might expect to find on popcorn, then there are some creative and innovative ones. Could you tell us a little bit about your current lineup?

AM: We try to do both, mixing both an elevated experience or innovative take on familiar flavors, such as butter, and then there are some that are a little bit closer in. Say if you talk about our Salty Caramel, that’s a bit more familiar. Then we have some unique and unexpected options, like Maui Heat, which is a blend of pineapples, a sweet taste with a hot finish from cayenne pepper, or we have Cinnalicious, we have Cocoa Mint—everything under the sun, in terms of different ways that we can excite our customers, but the goal is always the same: to take something that people already love, which is microwave popcorn, and make it more fun, more premium, just like it's been done to so many different categories, just not as much in microwave popcorn. You can even mix in different flavors—some of our customers will mix them up in a bowl.

Courtesy of Opopop

JS: In addition to the flavors that you've got, you're going to be rolling out more in the coming months. What can you tell us about those, and the fun idea to drop them on hungry consumers not all at once, but over time?

AM: We're continuing to build around the idea of delivering a better product experience—that’s really where the focus is. You’re going to see both new flavors and new formats down the line. We like to introduce new things in a thoughtful way, leveraging our consumer base that we already have, to test concepts, get feedback, and keep learning while we continue to improve the product.

JS: Congratulations on making it onto Walmart shelves. Could you please tell us a little bit about that—how did you manage to achieve that partnership, and what being on Walmart shelves means for Opopop?

AM: It was a huge milestone for us to get into Walmart. It's one of the larger, more competitive retail environments, so being able to bring something new to that shelf is very exciting for us. We were actually surprised with the interest that Walmart has shown in our product, and really jazzing up that category. This is the beginning of us bringing the product to a much broader audience beyond what we can achieve in direct-to-consumer, particularly around snacking, which still has most of its consumption happening in retail.

JS: It’s been fun to watch. I watch way too much true crime TV—Dateline NBC is a comfort show for me, and I believe that’s where I first saw Opopop’s TV commercials, which for a company of your size that’s looking to scale up, that’s an interesting strategy—plus it made me hungry for popcorn, so I have to think it’s working. Before I let you go, what’s next for Opopop?

AM: The focus is going to be on continuing to grow the brand by staying true to what makes us different, which is that better popcorn experience. That can come in different shapes, so it means continuing to innovate on the product side and thoughtfully expanding our reach. Our capability to develop unique flavors. I think, is part of what sets us apart.

JS: Last question, and it might be the hardest one yet. Do you have a favorite flavor in your lineup?

AM: I go back to Maui Heat, and you might have felt it when I spoke about that in a passionate way. It’s essentially this sweet taste on the front and hot finish that is completely addictive. It's also my wife's favorite—even my five-year-old’s, who I never imagined would like hot food.

Related: Popcorn explores sweet, spicy, healthy flavor profiles