RADFORD, Va. – “Ya know…you have a dream. You work hard at it, and dreams do come true.”
That dream for Christine, Marvin and Katlyn Eilert was to bring something new to the New River Valley.
Christine knew it had to be a Lil’ Bit Corny.
“What do we need around here? And we need a popcorn shop!”
The terrific trio would make specialty popcorn at home, but they finally saw an opportunity to open up shop in Radford.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. We were just so happy that we could get out and see people again and have customers face-to-face.”
Christine would tell you, though, that this little kernel of an idea popped into her head long before making Virginia their home base. It started when she was a child near Cleveland, Ohio.
She and her brother would always go to the local popcorn shop.
It is a child’s playland in this small Radford shop. Bright colors, treats and different-flavored popcorns are all over the place!
It’s not just your normal butter and cheese-flavored popcorn.
When asked how many flavors they’ve made, Marvin told us, “Gosh, we can do nearly a hundred different flavors. If you could think it up, I could probably make it.”
When we were there, he was busy making the Hokie Combination of mixed berry and orange. Ranging from sweet to spicy, he then had us try the Jalapeño Cheddar. Out of the nearly 100 flavors, he says the top sellers are usually the White Cheddar and Buffalo Ranch.
Another favorite is sure to make your eyes and taste buds pop, and you just know the kids will be drawn to it too. It’s called the Lollipop Corn.
Christine says its flavors know no bounds, “Grape, lemon, orange, cherry, blueberry…you name it and we have it.”
This weekend, the Eilerts will be at Craft and Draft in Radford.
You can book them for events like birthdays, weddings and graduations by calling, stopping in their shop in Radford or ordering on Facebook.