This Belmont gourmet popcorn shop can spice up your snack time
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Popcorn heaven — two words that immediately come to mind when you walk through the doors of Tastebuds Popcorn. Various see-through, oversized buckets — filled to the brim with popcorn flavors — line two walls, leaving visitors in awe.
What was overwhelming at first suddenly morphs into excitement at the realization that this shop is every popcorn-lover’s dream.
“It’s the wow factor,” owner Jay Pithwa told CharlotteFive.
When it comes to the experience and the menu, Tastebuds Popcorn can simply be described as creative, imaginative and life-changing.
Visitors start the experience by choosing flavors from three flavor and color categories — yellow, green and blue for cheese and savory, candy and caramel and chocolate and premium. The next decision is size, which ranges from kiddie to a 3.5-gallon tin. The last step is to repeat the process, as needed (or until your taste buds are sufficiently satisfied). And this may take a while.
There are more than 200 flavors, making the options feel endless. On the menu:
Butterbeer
Banana Pudding
Snickerdoodle
Cookies and Cream
Butter Pecan
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Mango
Buffalo
Cheddar Jalapeno and more.
During the holiday season, the options are festive with new flavors available for gifts such as White Chocolate Peppermint. While visitors may be tempted to try classic flavors such as Kettle Corn or White Cheddar, Pithwa’s advice is to do the opposite. Use your two free samples wisely.
“I want people to get out of their comfort box, step back a little bit and just try different things.”
Pithwa’s idea for the concept started more than 10 years ago because he wanted to try something different. At that time, he said custom cupcakes were the hot new trend, so what could he make that was different? A self-proclaimed movie buff, Pithwa decided to challenge himself with a twist on a popular snack: popcorn.
He vowed early on to produce more flavors than the few options that are typically offered at the movie theater — putting imagination on the menu.
In 2011, after two years of testing recipes in his garage, Pithwa made downtown Belmont the cozy gourmet popcorn shop’s home. During its first year in business, the shop sold more than 200,000 bags of popcorn. Over the years, the menu grew from more than 150 options to more than 200 offerings.
To this day, its most popular flavors are Carolina Mix, Decadent Dog and Dill Pickle:
The Carolina Mix is flavored with made-from-scratch caramel and rolled in cheddar cheese.
The Decadent Dog is flavored with handmade salted caramel and drizzled with white, milk and dark chocolate.
Dill Pickle — which is produced at four times the rate of other flavors due its popularity — is flavored with a zesty pickle and dill.
More than popcorn
Back in 2009 when his journey started, Pithwa never imagined the amount of support he would receive from the Belmont community. For him, it’s also about community, which is why his contribution to the area expands beyond yummy popcorn.
Inspired by his love for his own Australian Shepherd and wanting a place where his dog was welcomed as part of the family, Pithwa opened Thirsty Dog. The dog bar is welcoming to both children and dogs, inviting Belmont residents to spend the day relaxing, eating, drinking and more.
“I want people to come here on a Saturday morning and not leave until late afternoon,” he said. “Our backyard is like a diamond in the rough. We want this place to be the ultimate chill zone.”
Future plans for Thirsty Dog include the addition of local art murals, a stage for live music, volleyball tournaments and more. For Tastebuds Popcorn, the goal is to expand beyond the shop’s other location, Tastebuds Popcorn Concord, which opened last year.
If you’re planning to visit, think beyond family movie nights. Pithwa wants you to know there are many more reasons to pick up some popcorn. “During the holidays, they make great stocking stuffers and we have school field trips coming up,” he said. “There’s so many different ways that you can use our popcorn because we have a great shelf life.”
Tastebuds Popcorn
Location: 208 N Main St, Belmont, NC 28012
Neighborhood: Downtown Belmont
Hours: Open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday throughThursday; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday from 1-6 p.m.
Instagram: @tastebudspopcorn
Tastebuds Popcorn Concord
Location: 3805 Concord Pkwy S #132, Concord, NC 28027
Neighborhood: Concord
Hours: Open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Monday throughThursday; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday from 1-6 p.m.
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
