Popping up a Profitable Enterprise

Motor City Popcorn founder Ronier Golightly’s business idea was birthed out of his astonishment over the lines wrapping around Chicago’s Garrett’s Popcorn while visiting the Windy City. He couldn’t believe the demand for something as simple as popcorn and dedicated himself to exploring opening up a shop in Detroit.

After months of research and a hard “no” from Garrett’s on franchising in Detroit, Golightly opened Motor City Popcorn in 2012. We sat down with Ronier Golightly to learn more about his business success and plans for the future.?

What occurred in your childhood that influenced your decision to become entrepreneurially-focused? It started with my Uncle who owned a bar in Pittsburgh. The “Golightly” marquee would light up at night and I would look at our name, “Golightly” on the front of his place and feel an incredible sense of pride.? In 1988 while working in a restaurant, I watched the owners in action and knew I wanted to own my own business one day too. Then I worked for two Black men that lived in my neighborhood growing up who made millions. I was motivated by their success to create my own.?

We love the play on all things Detroit in the titling of your products. Tell us about the various specialty flavors you offer??Motor City Mix was our first unique flavoring pair that we came up with combining both cheese and caramel popcorn. Eight Mile Mix is white cheddar and caramel which jokingly represents the White/Black racial boundary line in the city. The Belle Isle blend is green apple and caramel, playing on the grass and Black folk you’ll find at this popular park. The Big Three represents the automotive companies and those flavors are cheese, caramel and butter. Customers are proud of their hometown and enjoy ordering by name.?

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What sets you apart from your competition??I rely on a special recipe while my competitors rely on retail foot traffic. We do not. Our sales come from several streams like wedding receptions, baby showers, graduations and retail stores. None of our competitors offer snack size, but we do! And our online sales have us distributing nationwide.?

Where can we get your product??We ship nationwide, and our anchor outlets are in Metro Detroit. We have a presence at: Motor City Casino, Somerset Mall, Eastern Market, Holiday Market, Ford Motor Company Plants / Ford Motor Headquarters and Meijer Stores.?

What does the future hold for Motor City popcorn? We are expanding to manage fundraiser sales. This process will be paperless and online. I am very excited to get this sales avenue started that positions Motor City popcorn.?

What do you say to the person that says entrepreneurship is too hard? I do this because of legacy. I remember being in awe of my uncle's establishment growing up and what it meant to the community. Paving a way for others is an important aspect of entrepreneurship as well. I take pride in having my nephew here in my shop working the cash register and learning business principles. I’m proud to be in a place where returning citizens (family members included) can find a second chance and work to earn a livable wage. My desire is to build wealth and be very profitable for my family and my community.?

To learn more, visit motorcitypopcorn.com.??