Jennifer Cartwright, RN, BSN, always knew she wanted to work with children. She babysat constantly growing up and went to nursing school straight from high school, aiming for pediatrics. She graduated from Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University in 2006. Today she works on a medical surgical floor for neurology at Scottish Rite Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“Some of our patients come back often for seizures or other chronic conditions. I really like being able to form relationships with them and knowing that I’m helping their families,” she said.
In addition to nursing, she and her husband, Andrew, a full-time golf professional, also own a small business, Cartwright’s Popcorn. That part of her life wasn’t planned. You could say it just popped up.
“One of our friends showed my husband how to pop popcorn on a stove top. It was old school and we loved the taste. Our friends did, too,” said Cartwright. Later, the same friends gave them some sample packets of seasonings and the couple began experimenting with flavors.
“Our popcorn became the staple item that I brought to baby showers and gatherings and everyone loved it. They kept telling us we should go into business,” she said.
Cartwright, who works nightshift, would often take popcorn as a snack and share with co-workers. As the demand grew, she could no longer afford to give it away. “The first dollar I ever made in the business was selling popcorn to a colleague on my floor,” said Cartwright. “Now workers on other floors seek me out. We love our snacks on the nightshift, especially at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.”
At first, the couple popped corn in their spare time in their kitchen and sold to friends and family. When they decided to get serious, they soon learned how much red tape was involved with launching a food business.
“It seemed like such a simple product with few ingredients, but it took a month to get the label of ingredients approved by the Department of Agriculture,” she said. They needed stickers for front and back and special bags. The need for a logo, tag line (Popcorn done Wright), photographs, a Web site, blog and policies for retail shops followed.
They bought a special kettle for popping, glass jars and scoops when they decided to set up a popcorn bar at the Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay last October. They knew they needed a commercial kitchen to sell retail and were lucky to find one close to home, The Edge Kitchen, affiliated with The Edge Connection and Kennesaw State University.
“We now rent space there and pop about once a week, but in order to be able to work there we had to get a business license and permits from the Department of Agriculture. Also liability insurance,” said Cartwright. “It took six to seven months, and my husband’s business management degree really helped. The business became official in January,” she said.
Cartwright Popcorn comes in 12 flavors and two bag sizes. Buffalo Ranch, Sea Salt & Vinegar and White Cheddar are the favorites. “We tend to add flavors by customer request and through testing. A lot of them like spicy, so Cajun is our newest flavor.”
Wright’s Popcorn in 8-10 locations, including The Beer Growler in Brookhaven and Sandy Springs, the Local Exchange on Marietta Square and four hospital gifts shops: Cartersville Medical Center, Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Northside Hospital-Atlanta, and WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
They’ve set up popcorn bars for events at schools and birthday parties at the Children’s Art Place.
Andrew handles the business side and Jennifer makes sales calls and tracks orders and refills. “We’d be in more places, if I had more time to make the calls,” she said. “We can’t handle much more than we’re doing now.”
The business is growing, which means that the couple is often popping and filling bags late in the evening. “The time-management and multi-tasking skills that I learned through nursing are a real help, that and my Type-A personality,” she said.
They know they are facing important decisions about whether to buy more time in the commercial kitchen, hire an employee, or seek investors. “We both love our jobs, and don’t want popcorn to be our only job, but we’re proud of what we’ve done with the business,” said Cartwright. “We may never make millions, but we’ve done more than we ever thought we could.”
