News Vinton Popcorn now available; VSHS class continues work with area businesses

Palace patrons are now eating Vinton Popcorn while watching the latest movies.

Shoppers can find it at Fareway in Vinton and Roy’s in Shellsburg, and soon it will be in many more area businesses.

And say the students who are promoting the popcorn it tastes good.

Kaylene Kramer conducted an informal taste test with her brothers on evening. She made Vinton Popcorn without telling them before they ate it, then asked for their opinion.

“They said they liked it better,” she said.

Other class members agree.

“Its….. fluffier,” says Hannah Seitz, as she looks for the right word.

“It pops bigger,” adds a classmate.

“People really like it,” says another.

Lessons learned

This is the second year for the Entrepreneurship Class, which Mr. Rick Vettraino has been creating. The students say the class has taught them the importance of communication, and listening to others. They also said they have learned how much work goes into creating and operating a business.

Jacob Patrilla is the chairman. Class members say they chose him for his business knowledge and tease him about his bashful demeanor.

“We’ve been trying to get him to talk more,” says one classmate; Jacob replies with a grin.

Money management, business planning and working together are other lessons students say they are learning through this unique class.

Mr. Vettraino says that the class engages many of the students in a way that a traditional classroom setting would not inspire.

“It’s my favorite class of the day,” says Kaylene.

History and milestones

The project is the result of a partnership between a new Vinton-Shellsburg High School Entrepreneurship class and several area business leaders who wanted to revive the famous Vinton Popcorn brand name. The students, with business teacher Vettraino as their advisor, have been working with those business leaders and school officials on the project for the past two years.

The first year included market research, planning and development, and fund-raising. Most of the start-up funds came from donations from those business leaders. In addition to purchasing inventory, the class also purchased a scale and bag sealer and other related equipment.

The class has reached milestones in the past few weeks as the first Vinton Popcorn arrived on shelves and the popcorn tubs at the Vinton Palace Theatre. The students even have their own Vinton Popcorn storefront, a donation from the La Reyna Mexican Restaurant owners Carlos and Carmen Legaspi. The students use the space to package and store the popcorn, as well as for office space for their advertisement and promotion planning.

Soon, the class hopes to add microwave popcorn to its inventory. Next year, says Mr. Vettraino, they hope to add more merchandise including popcorn poppers.

The back of the popcorn packages contains the Vinton Popcorn story, which relates how that a few decades ago, Vinton Popcorn was famous throughout the country for its variety of flavors that came from the factory on 4^th Street.

Although not grown in Vinton, the popcorn that the students package is grown in Iowa.

Unique class, unique opportunity

High school student-run businesses are rare, said Vettraino, although a few schools have had classes that created their own business running a café or coffee shop, and another worked with Habitat for Humanity to sell used construction materials.

The students have worked with several business leaders. They are also working with a college department in Utah on an analysis of the popcorn which will be used for the nutrition label. Students are also learning about food and health inspections, and the different kinds of inspections necessary to sell unpopped popcorn as well as popped popcorn.

Some customers have asked for popcorn that is already popped, but that requires a different level of food inspection.

Vettraino said he has been very pleasantly surprised at how eager the Vinton community has been to support this project. The class now has 12 members, most of whom are sophomores who plan to continue next year.

Vinton Popcorn at the Palace