Meet Shaunese Alexander and her four children — Destiny, Trinity, Serenity, and Joshua — the founders of Popcorn Munchies, one of the fastest-growing Black-owned gourmet popcorn brands in the country. Their Maryland-based company's most popular specialty is their caramelized pecan flavor.
How they started out
It all started when the kids, especially Joshua, realized that they loved eating popcorn while watching movies at home. Their mom eventually decided to purchase a popcorn machine so that they could make popcorn similar to how it's done in movie theaters. Shortly after, they were experimenting with recipes and landed on the best one, caramel. "It was so good," Shaunese says, "that we decided to share it with neighbors, friends, and family. They loved it so much that we began receiving more and more requests to make it."
When the pandemic began, the kids say they had no other choice but to stay home and be bored. But Shaunese did not let their valuable time go to waste. She encouraged them to perfect the craft, learn the entire process from start to finish, and start their very own gourmet popcorn business. Not long after, Popcorn Munchies was born!
