Business & Professional
David Farber, owner of
Detroit Popcorn Co.
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
W
ho doesn't like
popcorn?" asks
David Farber of
West Bloomfield rhetorically.
"It's cheap, tasty and healthy
And people eat it whether they're
happy or sad."
That may explain why the
Detroit Popcorn Co. has been in
business for 83 years, through
several owners and locations,
and why Farber, the newest
owner, now sells about 1 million
pounds of popcorn a year.
Since he quit selling vitamins
last year and bought the "fun"
business located on Greenfield
near the Jeffries Freeway on
Detroit's west side, sales are up
40 percent, or $1 million. In
one year, Farber and his staff
— through hard work, deter-
mination and plenty of elbow
grease — have turned a sagging
business with declining sales into
a flourishing enterprise for both
wholesale and retail customers.
Popcorn is important to the
company, but it isn't the only
commodity. There's also carmel
corn, cotton candy, sno-kones,
syrups for slushes, ice cream top-
pings, hot dogs, pizza, waffles,
nuts, nachos and cheese — and
the equipment used to dispense
it all.
"We have everything in stock
all of the time boasts Farber.
"My employees know I can't
An old company gets a
shot in the arm — and its
bottom line — with new
leadership.
stand it if we have to tell custom-
ers,`Sorry, we're out' of this or
that and, thus, force them to go to
another store. Since I took over,
we have increased our inventory
by $250,000."
Farber, 47, graduated from
West Bloomfield High School and
went into his father's health food
business, eventually developing
his own chain of Vitamin Outlet
stores in the Detroit area. He sold
the business a few years ago.
"I sort of retired for a couple of
years, spending a lot of time on
the computer, but I kept my eye
open to buy a whole new busi-
ness," he explained.
He and his wife, Jill, have
three children and belong to
Congregation Beth Ahm in West
Bloomfield.
Meanwhile, the family that had
owned the Detroit Popcorn Co.
since the 1970s was ready to sell
because of the owner's illness
and other problems. The firm
was founded in 1923 on Grand
River near the old Olympia
Stadium in Detroit, then was
moved, with various owners, to
John R, then Telegraph Road, and
finally to the current location.
Farber bought the business and
took over the 70,000-square-foot
facility on a lease in May 2005.
"We have spent $300,000 to
renovate the place — $30,000
for cleanup alone, filling 30
dumpsters full of refuse. Then
we launched a bunch of improve-
ments," he said.
Farber redesigned and recon-
figured the showroom, put new,
colorful signs on the building,
installed new phone and comput-
er systems, including a new Web
site, doubled the size of the cus-
tomer parking lot and purchased
a fleet of six delivery trucks.
Farber drives a Mini Cooper car
bedecked with company signs.
"We went from 15 to 25 full-
time employees, replacing some
long-time workers who just
didn't fit in with our futuristic
plans; we hope to add more peo-
ple as business expands:' he said.
"A lot has changed since 1923,
and we want new people who can
keep up with modern times. We
now distribute popcorn through-
out Michigan, other parts of the
U.S. and Canada."
Responding to customer
demands, Farber also expanded
the company's rental business
and redesigned the event equip-
ment rental catalog. Ready for
bar and bat mitzvahs, churches,
schools, ice cream socials, family
reunions and corporate parties
are popcorn and carmel corn
machines and carts — with a
new cheese carmel corn recipe;
topping and syrup dispensers;
cotton candy machines; frozen
slush machines; champagne
fountains; hot dog carts and
grills; ice cream carts; waffle
makers; pretzel and pizza ovens;
sno-kone machines; rolling bar-
becues; nut dispensers and more
snack foods.
"We use coconut oil in our
popcorn because it's fresher,
cleaner and healthier," said
Farber. "The hybrid corn is
grown especially for us in north-
ern Ohio. We make our own syr-
ups in a special manufacturing
area. We even have kosher rental
equipment and supplies.
"With my knowledge of the
health food business, we use only
the best ingredients. Selling pop-
corn in decorative tins at holiday
time has become a big business,
and we doubled our tin sales in
the past year."
In fact, the Detroit Popcorn Co.
has grossed about $2.8 million
since Farber took over.
"David runs a smooth opera-
tion and provides excellent
products at honest, fair prices:'
said Andrew Landau, 20, of West
Bloomfield.
Landau buys popcorn and
other goodies from Detroit
Popcorn Co. to fill four machines
that he uses to service bar and
bat mitzvahs, birthday parties,
graduations and even corporate
events. He has been operating the
sideline business, called Carnival
Extravaganza, since the age of
14, and now employs his brother,
Ryan, and about 10 other part-
time workers to handle 40-50
parties a year.
"I'm just a 'little guy' as a busi-
nessman, but David treats me
just like customers at the big cor-
porations',' said Landau. "He has
done wonders with the Detroit
Popcorn Co." ❑
T 0
PC RN
OPEN TO THE
PUBLIC
Anita Mickems and Darlene Collier, both of
Detroit Popcorn's building on Greenfield.
Detroit, make cotton candy.
June 29 2006
27