Making a trip to Chicago for a cone of Garrett’s famous popcorn was a regular scenario for husband and wife Angela and Alonzo Johnson. They stood in service lines that wrapped around the towers of the windy city often, but after becoming fans of another popcorn brand, that recently made its way to the Midwest, they seized the opportunity to purchase a franchise.
“We were approached by the previous owners to take over the franchise, and we were excited,” said Alonzo, who owns Popcornopolis in Castleton Square Mall with his wife. “We have a youth football league where we were introduced to the brand through a fundraiser and we knew we wanted something for our kids and something we can fall back on.”
The number of Black-owned businesses increased by more than 60 percent from 2007-2009 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners. In the same period, receipts generated by Black-owned businesses increased 55.1 percent to $137.5 billion.
While the number of Black-owned businesses and franchises are increasing, the Johnsons said they haven’t seen many others like theirs and began rattling off a list fast food chains when posed the question, “How many Black franchises do are you aware of?”
In June of 2014, the NAACP announced a partnership with Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, to create a Diversity Franchising Initiative to increase the number of African-American owned franchise businesses in the U.S.
But in a study released by the U.S. Small Business Administration, “Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs start their businesses with less money than whites and
on average, Black and Hispanic business owners put up 56 percent of their initial capital, while white owners put up 39 percent.”
“It’s a lot of hard work considering we both have our full-time jobs, then work overtime trying to develop a businesses,” mentioned Alonzo who is also the park manager at Watkins Park Family Center.
The couple traveled to California in June of 2013, where the Popcornoplis’ headquarters are located, for training. Since the kiosk was preexisting, the training process wasn’t as long as a typical session.
Popcornopolis began with its flagship store at Universal Studios in Hollywood and serves up more than a dozen varieties of popcorn.
When it comes to physically running the business, Angela and Alonzo trust their strength and weaknesses.
“I handle the business side of things, while he is more hands on with the customers,” mentioned Angela. “Our biggest goal is to obtain another location within the next three to five years and withstand that location.”
Over the past year, the Johnsons have acquired a great amount of knowledge about establishing a business, as well as advice for other African-Americans hoping to take part in a franchise opportunity.
“Have an understanding of what your expectations are as far as revenue. Once you realize that it’s a gradual process, you won’t run to quit your day job,” said Alonzo.
The couple also notes that researching the industry in which one is interested in is an important step along with grasping the concept behind supply and demand.
“Having a franchise is a great opportunity because most businesses fall short due to a lack of products, but in a franchise, the products are ready and available for you. If your product is good, be ready to have supply. If not it could cost your credibility,” said Alonzo.
The Popcornopolis at Castleton Square credits their success to faith.
“A lot of people think, you have to have money or time,” said Angela. “But you have to have faith first. It’s great to have people compare our product to other popular brands.”
