Love is in your CORNer with Luv N’ Popcorn at this year’s Taste of Soul Family Festival. Michael Survert and Shalonda Mitchell-Survert will be serving their signature, all-natural, gourmet popcorn recipes with the Crenshaw community on Saturday, October 19. After bonding over kettle corn while they were dating, the Surverts decided to go into business to share their love of popcorn with Southern California.
“One week we went through about five or six bags of Ralph’s kettle corn and when it was time to make a grocery run, she said ‘don’t forget the kettle corn.’ The following week it was another five to six bags and I realized Ralph’s was making too much money off of us and this kettle corn. I need to make my own kettle corn,” recalled Michael.
“We did a fair amount of research and during that time Shalonda was preparing to go to medical school. We thought of this business venture as an opportunity to fund her academic journey to achieve her dream of becoming an OBGYN and really serve the Black community through maternal health,” he said.
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“We are also the founders of a non-profit organization called ‘Becoming Excellent.’ We teach financial literacy through our business Luv N’ Popcorn. We donate some of those proceeds to other non-profits that share the same mission,” shared Michael.
Their motto “Luv is in your CORNer” is a play on words for real popcorn lovers like themselves. The Surverts have been in business since 2020, and they will be celebrating four years as popcorn entrepreneurs and enthusiasts. The idea was developed in 2019, during the pandemic and received an immense amount of support from Los Angeles to Lancaster. When asked about the highlights of the popcorn business, Shalonda Mitchell-Survert said, “every October we participate and sell popcorn at a pumpkin patch in our local area and the community loves to see us there. They always come out and support and to me that is one of the biggest highlights.”
Michael Survert added, “My background is in social work, and I like the idea of community. We get to build community through our popcorn. We offer a fresh product that is made to order, none of our popcorn is ever stored like some of our competitors. We use the finest ingredients and what’s great about our popcorn is that we don’t use any butter. We have butter less popcorn which presents a health aspect as we consider Black health. We know about food deserts and food insecurity, so we want to help eliminate that and offer a fresh product that’s tasty and memorable. It gives us the opportunity to really show our love for community, to show our activity, and desire to be with community.”
Luv N’ Popcorn has a wide variety of popcorn with a unique menu of 47 flavors. From original kettle, spicy cheddar, and cookies and cream to their most popular AB mix with cheddar and caramel. Their ode to the Chicago style mix, their mix is significant as every kernel has caramel and cheddar with every bite. Luv N’ Popcorn has a flavor for every and any one to accommodate all their customer needs. Guests at this year’s Taste of Soul can expect smiles and fresh popcorn.
“I think people can expect a quality product along with a big smile from happy people ready to serve them. There will also be fresh squeezed lemonade made on the spot. Beyond our good service and friendly faces, we have very minimal complaints about our popcorn. This will be our third year at the Taste of Soul, and we can’t wait.”
Order popcorn online from Luv N’ Popcorn at luvnpopcorn.com and use code 15OFF for 15% off your order. Follow Luv N’ Popcorn on Instagram at @luvn_popcorn.
