Popcorn business - street selling popcorn. Opening your own business producing and selling popcorn

Popcorn business – profitability up to 700%, instant profit, payback in the first weeks of work, ease of production and minimum costs for equipment. Popcorn is the most popular delicacy at public holidays; a bright cart selling popcorn can always be seen in parks, near attractions, circuses, etc. shopping centers. As a rule, there is always a line of people wanting to enjoy freshly made popcorn near the cart. How much can you earn selling popcorn? To find out this, it’s enough to familiarize yourself with the popcorn production technology itself.

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For the production of popcorn, special varieties of corn are used, which are classified according to the following characteristics:

• Expansion (the volume of finished popcorn in cm³ obtained from 1 gram of grain; the higher the indicator, the greater the volume of production during preparation).
• Humidity (should be within 13 - 14%; if the specified storage limits do not comply, the percentage of contaminants increases sharply).
• Dirtyness (part of the unopened grains during the cooking process).
• Size (the size of the finished flakes is determined).
• Strength of finished popcorn.
• Opening form of ready-made popcorn.

The most popular and proven variety of grains is “butterfly” which, in turn, is divided into categories – “small butterfly”, “medium butterfly” and “large butterfly”. The difference between these categories is in the characteristics of popcorn, which is obtained during the cooking process from corn grains of the selected category.

“Big butterfly” - has an expansion degree of up to 44, is strong and does not break.

“Medium butterfly” - degree of expansion 43, has the greatest opening, delicate, most often used.

"Small butterfly" - extension 42, used in home cooking, due to increased fragility.

It is also recommended to use premium grain for making popcorn, sold in 23 kg bags costing about $45 per bag. From a bag of grain you can make 800 - 850 standard cups weighing 1 ounce (28.35 grams) or 24 ounces (US standard), which is approximately 1 liter glass.

When preparing sweet popcorn, the expansion percentage decreases by 10%, this is due to the addition of a sweet additive, sticky sweet flakes tend to thicken, and the yield of sweet popcorn will be 10% less than the volume of salty popcorn.

To make popcorn you will also need vegetable oil, you can use corn, soybean, coconut, palm oil, as a rule, sunflower oil is not used (it gives the taste of fried seeds), the most commonly used coconut oil, for sweet popcorn, white, for salty popcorn, yellow. Coconut oil is sold in 23 kg containers, costing about $60. Coconut oil consumption is about 7 - 8 kg per bag of grain.

When cooking, sugar, salt, spices and other flavorings are added to popcorn to successful trading You must have at least two types of popcorn - sweet and salty.

Ready-made popcorn is sold in cups of various sizes, in cardboard cones or paper bags.

Equipment for organizing a business selling popcorn.

To sell popcorn, you will need a machine for making popcorn, costing from $500, a mobile counter or cart to place the machine on it, starting from $300.

Also an important point for a business selling popcorn will be the choice of a crowded, busy place to place a shopping cart with the ability to connect to a 220V network; renting 2 m² will cost from $200 per month.

Profitability of a business selling popcorn.

From one bag of premium corn grain you can make up to 850 liter cups of popcorn; the cost of one serving depends on the location of the store, on average it is about 35 rubles per cup of popcorn. As practice shows, a popcorn business quickly pays for itself; with an investment of about $1,000, the outlet brings a monthly income of about $2,000 - $3,000, and on holidays, such as City Day, daily revenue increases several times. The popcorn business is very popular in tourist destinations, where even with a high markup, there is a high demand for this product.

In previous articles we offered you and. Such a snack food product as popcorn appeared on Russian market approximately 15 years ago and immediately gained a huge audience of consumers and became a good source of profit. Popcorn is not suitable for industrial production, because it is more pleasant to eat his food hot and freshly prepared. This gives a chance to small businesses that are not lost and are actively mastering sales methods and popcorn making technology. Experts say that the profitability of such a business is 700%. The indicators are amazing! And you have the opportunity to verify for yourself the veracity of the numbers.

First steps

We will not touch upon the consideration legal aspects starting a business, namely, obtaining licenses and permits, and we’ll talk in detail about commercial and organizational issues.

Let's start with the fact that the costs of organizing a popcorn business are negligible. If you have $1,000, you can rent an area of ​​about 1.5 m² in a shopping and entertainment center, which will cost you $200. If you give your business idea a start in the summer by placing a retail outlet in a park or on a busy street, then rent will cost you much less.

The simplest machine for cooking corn (used is also possible) costs about $500. It produces approximately 3-4 kg/h. This will be enough for you, as a beginning businessman. When things take off, you can buy more productive and reliable American equipment for $2,000, which will cook 10 kg/h for you.

If the trade is street, then it would be more logical to buy a small cart-trailer. It will cost you $500, but it will allow you to make your point of sale more attractive and install it on a corn preparation machine.

Production nuances

We will give you some tips on cooking technology and selection of raw materials. The quality of the finished product depends on a serious approach to these issues. The main components are vegetable oil and corn grains - they must be of special varieties. The most popular is the “butterfly”. This variety of corn is further divided into three categories. "Small butterfly": best used for home use, after cooking it increases in volume 42 times, becomes fragile, but tender. “Medium butterfly”: increases 43 times in volume, opens well, this type of popcorn is sold in cinemas and parks. The “big butterfly” variety is used in small-scale production because its grains are the strongest and survive transportation without damage. To make sweet popcorn, the “Caramel” variety is often used: the grains open into balls and increase in size by 36-38 times.

To prepare corn kernels you can use various types oils: soybean, palm, coconut, even corn, but never use butter or rapeseed. Note that sunflower is also not suitable: popcorn acquires flavor and aroma roasted sunflower seeds. Experts say coconut oil is the most acceptable option; it is argued that yellow oil is better used for salted corn, and white oil for sweet corn.

Don't forget about spices: sugar, salt and other additives. They will give the finished popcorn an attractive smell, color and taste. The best assortment to start with: salty and sweet popcorn. Your customers should have choice.

And one more important point: storage of raw materials. Know that coconut oil always needs coolness: it melts at +28°C. Corn grains should not be exposed to moisture or light, otherwise they will not open, so they should be stored in closed containers.

To package finished products, the retail outlet must have cups, cardboard cones or paper bags of various sizes.

How prices are formed

You may ask: where does this business profitability come from? We'll try to answer.

It is reliable that a 22-kilogram bag of corn grain costs about $40. The supplier will sell you oil and spices along with the grain. For example, a barrel of coconut oil costs from $65 (weighs 22.68 kg). From this volume of raw materials you will get 850 cups of approximately 30 grams of popcorn each. If you set the price at 30-35 rubles per serving, then the cost of the bag will be recouped by 50 cups sold. The remaining 800 are profitable.

If you work 22 days and sell 300 servings per month, then you will sell 6 bags and make a profit from 4800 cups sold. The likelihood of such an ideal picture is extremely small, but if you take away the various types of expenses and “get down to earth a little,” then the real profit of 2–3 thousand dollars from one point is very attractive. After all, no one says you can only have one of these popcorn carts.

Employees

Finding a reputable, active, honest and clean seller may be a bit of a challenge for you. After all, in such a job, all the listed qualities are important: for a slob it will be difficult to get a health certificate, someone can easily steal, and a lazy person will not attract or will completely lose due to the sluggishness of clients. If you find one like that for 15 thousand per month, then consider yourself lucky!

The main thing is don’t stop halfway! Everything will work out!

IN last decades A product such as popcorn has firmly entered the lives of our compatriots and continues to stubbornly gain popularity.

In this regard, the business associated with its production and sale is a stable and profitable business.

Making popcorn is not difficult and does not require large financial investments. You can earn quite a lot of money on it. Today we invite you to learn how to organize your own popcorn production.

What is popcorn?

WITH English language The name of this product can be translated as “puffed corn.” The raw material for popcorn is corn kernels, which have a special structure and consist of droplets of starch containing water. If you heat them to a certain temperature, the water inside the grain will boil and break the shell that holds it back. This is how we get the voluminous corn flakes that we all love so much.

Popcorn production equipment

The main component of your business will certainly be a puffed corn machine. Such devices are divided into three categories:

1. Designed to hold 6-8 oz. They are used in the preparation of these products on the streets, in parks, in entertainment complexes and small cinemas.
2. Designed to hold 12-16 oz. Such devices, as a rule, are installed in places where there are large crowds of people with active sales of your products: cinema bars, large shopping and entertainment complexes, etc. In addition, such units are sometimes used in small production workshops.
3. Rated to produce over 20 oz. Equipment in this category is capable of producing 20 or more kilograms of finished products per hour. It is mainly used for production on an industrial scale.

If you are planning to open a small popcorn shop, then a 6-8 ounce popcorn machine is the right choice for you.

What raw materials are used in the production of puffed corn?

Popcorn production involves the use of three main categories of products: corn kernels, coconut oil and flavorings. We suggest going into more detail on each of the points.

Corn kernels

Ordinary corn is not suitable for these purposes - we will need special varieties grown in special conditions and in a suitable climate.

Depending on the opening rate, the grains are divided into types such as “butterfly” and “caramel”.

First grade grains open in the form of voluminous torn flakes and are the most common raw material in the production of puffed corn. In particular, they are used to produce salty and sweet popcorn coated with glaze.

Caramel grains open in the form of flakes with a dense mushroom-shaped surface. As the name suggests, they are used to make a caramelized product.

Coconut oil for popcorn

In general, any variety of shelled corn can be used to make popcorn. vegetable oil. However, yellow coconut oil is best. The production of popcorn based on this product has the following advantages: the finished product has a pleasant nutty aroma and a sweetish taste, is not bitter, but bad smell from burnt oil will not be as strong as when using other raw materials. When purchasing coconut oil, be sure to ensure that you are purchasing natural product, not a fake. To do this, do not hesitate to ask the seller for a certificate of conformity.

Flavoring additives

To offer your customers a wider range of products, it is necessary to use various flavoring additives in the production of popcorn. So, as a rule, salted, sweet glazed and sweet caramelized popcorn are available for sale. The salted popcorn process uses appropriate flavor additives that may have different tastes(cheese, mushrooms, bacon, paprika, etc.).

Making glazed popcorn involves using a special glaze, which can vary in taste qualities, and by color. To make caramelized popcorn, caramelization mixtures are used.

Packaging for puffed corn

When seriously considering a popcorn production business, do not lose sight of the need to purchase containers for packaging the finished product. Today on the market there are several main types of packaging for selling puffed corn: glasses, bags and boxes. We invite you to take a closer look at each category.

Puffed corn cups

Paper cups for popcorn are rightfully considered the most popular and widespread type of packaging. of this product thanks to the following advantages:

To produce such containers, grease-resistant cardboard is used;

This packaging is environmentally friendly;

Glasses are very convenient to use for both the seller and the buyer;

This packaging is brightly colored and serves to additional attraction customer attention.

Popcorn bags

If you are just starting your popcorn business and want to keep costs as low as possible, then you can use paper popcorn bags for packaging. They are low in price and take up little space.

Boxes for popcorn

There is another type of packaging for popcorn, which is cardboard boxes. Despite the fact that they are attractive appearance, it is better to avoid using them for two reasons:

The design of such containers implies the presence of cracks through which flavorings and crumbs can spill out, which is unlikely to please customers;

When unfolding, the box often, as they say, “plays” in the hands of both the seller and the buyer, which causes certain inconvenience.

Location of the outlet

This stage is fundamental to the success of your enterprise. After all, it’s not enough to just produce and package popcorn beautifully and conveniently; you also need to sell it. Undoubtedly, ideal place for the location of the retail outlet are parks and shopping and entertainment centers with high traffic. In addition, selling puffed corn in the cinema would be a profitable solution.

Additional income

When eating sweet or salty dry foods, which includes popcorn, a person usually begins to feel thirsty.

Take advantage of this to secure additional income for yourself, as well as to attract more clients.

Moreover, most large companies producing soft drinks provide their refrigerators for use on free of charge only on one condition that you will not store competitors' products in them.

Staff

Even if you are planning to open a very small point selling puffed corn, the issue of personnel selection should be given increased attention. The best person for this type of work is a sociable, smiling and always positive person, who also easily finds common language with children, who will make up the bulk of consumers of your products. However, no matter how pleasant your employee is, do not forget to regularly monitor how he performs his duties.

Puffed corn business: the financial side of the issue

If you are planning to open a small point selling popcorn, then the financial investment will be very small and is unlikely to exceed the amount of three thousand dollars, including the purchase of equipment, raw materials, containers, rent and the salesperson's salary.

Moreover, the profitability of this business can range from 300 to 700%!

In this regard, we can conclude that popcorn production is very profitable and promising business, which everyone can organize.

Popcorn does not need advertising; both children and adults adore it. After all, you can rarely imagine going to the cinema or to an amusement park without popcorn or cotton candy. Children simply adore these dishes, and parents are happy to buy them for them. In this article we will look at a business plan for opening a popcorn selling point, you will learn how to choose raw materials, equipment and where is the best place to start trading.

But not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance. There are a number of reasons that give rise to huge competition in this sector:

• simplicity of business
• minimal investment in equipment
• popcorn popularity
• business mobility
• no need to have special skills.

All these factors, at the same time, scare away newcomers who do not want to constantly compete and improve their business.

Popcorn is often sold as an additional service to an existing business, for example in a cinema, or near children's playgrounds.

In this article we will look at the most seasonal view activities, namely street selling popcorn.

Documents

The first thing you will need to do is register the sale of popcorn as an official business. To do this, you need to fill out all the documents and obtain the appropriate permissions from the inspection services.

• register as an individual entrepreneur.
• indicate OKVED for the activity. For Russia this is code 52.62, 52.63. For Ukraine – 47.
• from permitting documents, you will also need a lease agreement.
• you must have quality certificates for equipment and raw materials.
• register the personnel and the employee must have a medical record.
• if you work on private land, then you will need to sign an agreement with its owner, but if in places that are outside the city, you will need to contact the local administration to obtain all the necessary permits.
• permission from the SES.

Place for trade

When choosing a place to trade good option There will be: recreation parks, places near entertainment centers, beaches, embankment areas. Maximum effect You can feel the impact of business in resort towns. Sales there are many times higher. Try to negotiate with local authorities about selling popcorn at public celebrations, you will also get good money. Simply put, the main purpose of selecting a place is a vacation spot for children with their parents; you need to clearly focus on your potential buyers.

Of the main communications for a popcorn production business, you will need electricity. Washing and cleaning of devices will need to be carried out daily, but this can be done at the equipment storage base.

Required equipment

Equipment in this niche plays important role. Currently on the market large number devices, for any wallet and based on the starting capital, entrepreneurs make their choice in one direction or the other. Among the most popular manufacturers are American, European Chinese devices, as well as domestically produced equipment.

Since we are considering the format mobile business on popcorn, then you will need the following equipment of the outlet:

• tabletop popcorn machine, average cost: $300 - $500.
• trolley with compartment for transporting ingredients and other accessories.
• consumables for popcorn production (butter, salt, flavorings, powdered sugar).
• packaging products (napkins, paper cups of various sizes (portions), etc.).
• sun umbrella.
• stool for the seller.

On average, to staff one retail outlet you will need about $1000.

As additional equipment you can enable:

• freezers (ice cream and cold drinks).
• machine for making cotton candy.

You will need at least another $800 for this equipment. But it’s worth it, because often by expanding the range you can significantly increase your profit, which will consist not only from the sale of popcorn.

It is also advisable to have a car to transport equipment to the storage location.

Technology

The technology for making popcorn itself is quite simple, which is what attracts people in this business.

All process can be divided into several main steps:

• the equipment warms up to 200 degrees Celsius.
• Oil and grains of a special variety of corn are loaded into the bottom of the apparatus.
• add flavorings (salty or sweet).
• after turning on the device for a few minutes with high temperatures, you will have a finished product.

As you can see, one of the advantages of this business is that you constantly prepare fresh products, and they are guaranteed to be delicious. Raw materials can be stored for a long time.

Raw materials and suppliers

Now let's talk about the raw materials for making popcorn. It is worth saying that it is very easy to get, and the price tag allows for a high markup on the finished product, which cannot but please entrepreneurs.

Here's what you'll need:

• corn of special varieties.
• oil.
• flavorings: sweet and salty.
• packaging products.

Now let's look at all this in more detail. The corn used is mainly American-made. There are two most popular varieties: Butterfly and Caramel. The butterfly is used to make various types of popcorn, both salty and sweet. And Caramel is mainly exclusively for sweet products.

Often, when choosing an oil, preference is given to coconut oil. It has a number of advantages: when preparing sweet popcorn, this oil gives a sweetish taste and does not burn, which improves the quality of the final product.

Among the flavoring additives, there are also salty ones: bacon, cheese, mushrooms and sweet ones: strawberries, cherries, raspberries and others. But at the beginning, entrepreneurs usually make classic popcorn, and in the future they can experiment with flavor additives.

The packaging used is either paper cups or paper bags. Glasses of business selling popcorn are more preferable.

All raw materials must be purchased exclusively certified, and their quality must be monitored.

Suppliers can be found via the Internet, but it is important not to fall for a fake, so that the quality of the prepared popcorn, on which the reputation of your business depends, does not suffer.

How much money do you need to start?

Experienced experts advise starting in the popcorn selling business with at least 3 outlets; only in this case can you achieve a decent income. To open 3 points you will need about $5400.

You will also need a car, which we did not include in the cost amount.

How much can you earn?

One bag of raw materials (corn) weighing 25 kg can be purchased for $26. One bag will yield about 1000 servings with a volume of 0.7 liters. The average retail price of popcorn is about $1.2. Thus, 1000 servings will bring $1200. You also need to subtract oil, additives and packaging - this is about 25% of the amount. Let's see that you can earn $900. The profitability of a business depends on sales volumes. For net income you still need to deduct taxes and wages to the seller. Having several retail outlets, you can make a profit - $1000 - $1100 net per season.

Conclusions. It is profitable to open a popcorn business during the season summer holidays, near amusement parks, beaches and summer cinemas. Small investments and high demand for the product make the business very attractive, but at the same time, be realistic about the situation with your competitors.

Do you have experience in this market segment? We look forward to your feedback and recommendations.

• Renting a retail space
• Staff
• How much can you earn
• • • • Similar business ideas:

Opening a point for the production and sale of popcorn is not difficult. To start a business, you do not need knowledge of special technologies or recipes. Wide selection equipment and low costs for its acquisition make the popcorn business attractive to many beginning and existing entrepreneurs.

A popcorn business can be like: an independent species activities, and complement existing business, for example, children's attractions or entertainment complexes. From an economic point of view, popcorn is a profitable product. The profitability of its production, according to some data, is 400% or more.

Advantages of a popcorn business

The main advantages of a business selling popcorn in a street trading format:

1. Low investment at the start;
2. Ease of starting a business;
3. Wide selection of equipment and options for completing a retail outlet;
4. The simple production technology is submissive;
5. Business mobility. If it doesn’t work in one place, you can quickly move the outlet to a more profitable location;
6. Popcorn is produced directly at the point of sale, which makes the product absolutely fresh.

What equipment to choose to complete a retail outlet

The minimum equipment for a popcorn outlet includes:

• Tabletop machine for making popcorn, cost 10-15 thousand rubles;
• Trolley with cabinet for installing a popcorn machine and storing accessories;
• Sun umbrella;
• Seller's chair;
• Other accessories (glasses, napkins, gloves);
• Consumables for making popcorn (butter, grain, powdered sugar, salt, flavorings).

The approximate cost of equipment for one retail outlet is 25-30 thousand rubles.

Popcorn making technology

The technology for making popcorn involves loading special corn grains into a tabletop machine. In addition to grain, coconut oil, sweet glaze (salt) and flavorings are added to the machine’s cauldron. Then the machine turns on and after a few minutes you get delicious glazed popcorn. The color of popcorn depends on the additive used. The finished product is poured into a glass and served to the buyer.

In order to increase revenue, a retail outlet can additionally be equipped with:

• Refrigerated display cases for selling ice cream;
• Apparatus for making cotton candy;
• Refrigerated cabinet for selling drinks.

The cost of purchasing additional equipment will be 15 thousand rubles. Revenue from sales of ice cream and cotton candy can, in certain places, exceed revenue from the sale of popcorn.

You should start a business with at least 3 retail outlets. Ideally, the larger the distribution network, the higher the entrepreneur’s profit. The only difficulty in growing trading network is business control. One person is able to effectively manage 10-15 retail outlets.

How much money do you need to open a popcorn selling business?

The total investment in opening a small network of 3 retail outlets will be about 80 thousand rubles. If you include the purchase of additional equipment (cotton candy, ice cream, drinks) in the costs, then the investment will amount to 125-135 thousand rubles.

The choice of additional equipment depends on the location of the outlet and the availability of security. If the retail outlet is located on the street, then it is necessary to have a warehouse to store the entire set of equipment. In this case, it is better to place a retail outlet near a shopping or entertainment center. Here, high cross-country ability is ensured and there is somewhere to hide a cart with a popcorn machine at night. If it is not possible to leave the equipment under someone’s supervision, it is necessary to have transport for transportation commercial equipment to popcorn sales places.

Renting a retail space

To place the equipment, it is necessary to conclude a lease agreement with the owner of the territory. The equipment of a retail outlet will occupy an area of ​​only 1.5 - 2 m2, which indicates low rental costs.

If the retail outlet is located near an entertainment/shopping center, cinema or amusement park, then you are dealing with a private person. The rental price in such places is one of the highest. The successful conclusion of a lease agreement depends on the ability to negotiate with the management of the property. If they see even a small benefit from working with you, then you will get the long-awaited position.

If you are planning to place a retail outlet on the embankment or central square city ​​(state territory), then you should contact the city or district administration. The city property management committee (KUGI) handles lease agreements in the administration. The entrepreneur will be required to write an application and provide a layout diagram of the retail facility (conditional). Since the agreement is concluded for a season, it is considered a temporary rental agreement. Such agreements are concluded without tendering. The period for obtaining a trade permit from the date of application is from 30 to 60 days.

As for the profitability of a business, much depends on the traffic of the outlet and target audience. For example, placing a point selling popcorn near an entertainment complex will be preferable than near a small grocery store. In the first case, the main clients will be children and young people who obviously go to spend money on entertainment and all kinds of sweets. Popcorn in such places will be sold many times more than near a grocery store.

In general, it is recommended to regularly analyze sales at each outlet in order to determine the least profitable (unprofitable) ones. In this case, unprofitable retail outlets must change their location to more profitable places.

Staff

The main workers in the street popcorn trade are young girls aged 18 to 30 years. In general, a business owner doesn't have much choice. Finding a good seller is not so easy. We have to hire people without any experience at all. Hence the high staff turnover. This is explained primarily by the low wages and seasonality of work. You need to be prepared for this.

If possible, it is necessary to put your sellers on equal earning conditions. Equal conditions mean alternating the work of salespeople in different retail outlets. After all, retail outlets are located in places with different traffic levels, and have different indicators revenue. In order not to offend anyone, it is necessary to give each employee the chance to maximize earnings. Moreover, in this way, control over revenue theft is improved and it is possible to determine which seller has the best sales performance.

It is recommended to set the salary as fixed (per exit) plus a percentage of daily revenue. For example, pay 300 rubles for the seller’s exit + 7% of revenue per day. This way, the employee will be motivated to make higher sales.

Which tax system to choose for a business selling popcorn

The organizational form of a business owner can be an ordinary individual entrepreneurship. The most favorable tax system, in in this case- UTII. No licenses are required to carry out activities. The only thing you need to have at each point of sale: permission to trade in a designated place (lease agreement), a quality certificate for the device and products, and a medical record from the seller (in case of an SES inspection).

Where to start opening a business

First you need to find a place where popcorn will be sold. The more crowded it is, the high probability get good income. After that, you need to find high-quality equipment that allows you to make delicious popcorn. There may be several such settings. Next, you should start looking for suppliers who will supply you with completely different varieties of popcorn. After that, you set your own prices and start trading.

How much can you earn

The monthly net profit from the street sale of popcorn at an average load can be about 150-200 thousand rubles.

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

It is necessary to use the OKVED code 52.24.22 - implementation retail various sugary products. You can also additionally indicate OKVED code 52.6 - retail trade taking place outside of stores.

What documents are needed to open

You need to prepare the following documents:

• identification code and passport of the person who registers his business;
• registration of individual entrepreneur or LLC;
• notarized statement;
• document confirming payment of the state duty.

Do I need permission to open?

It is necessary to take care of obtaining permits, which should include: the conclusion of the sanitary epidemiological station, the conclusion of the fire service and quality certificates for the equipment and products used.