Kettle corn business dream pops into reality

By Steph Schneider

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

People often forget their dreams right when they wake up, but for Ray Buckingham, he made his dream a reality in October 2007. He saw his family popping kettle corn at a carnival in his dream, and now he is popping kettle corn for the Lawrence and KU community.

The goal of creating a family-owned kettle corn business would be to work as a family, put away some money in college funds for their kids, Reid, 13, and Heather, 9, and support Christian ministries, Buckingham said.

“I thought it would be a realistic and fun thing to do with the family,” his wife Paige said.

The idea to start Buck’s kettle corn business was because of a dream, but the money to start it all had to be real.

“We had to sell a good portion of our land in Lecompton to save on supplies, and we get everything at Sam’s club,” Buckingham said.

Buck’s Kettle Corn was born in the Buckinghams’ kitchen and has been sold in the Massachusetts Street Christian bookstore, Signs of Life, since January.

“We had a lot of test batches and neighbors as guinea pigs,” Buckingham said. “And then we decided to talk to a business for small distribution.”

Buckingham said the owner of Signs of Life, Clay Belcher, attended their church, Grace Evangelical Presbyterian, and was more than willing to share space.

“A lot of people come and eat it in Signs of Life during a bible study,” Paige said. “Business has been progressing every 24 hours with this.”

Signs of Life employee and daughter of Belcher, Anna, 22 of Lawrence, said that after the recent Sidewalk Sale people started to ask about Buck’s.

This was Buck’s first year in the Sidewalk Sale and the Buckingham’s business caught the nose of many patrons walking by.

“We would start a new batch and you could just see people coming towards the stand,” Buckingham said. “It was by far our most successful day.”

Behind this sweet and salty goodness are the working hands of the Buckingham’s children, Reid and Heather.

“I love seeing the popcorn fall from the kettle,” Heather said, “but I don’t like waking up too early to cook it all.”

The 9-year-old’s duty is selling and handing out samples, while Reid’s is filling the bags.

“My friends ask me all the time if I can hook them up with a free bag,” Reid said. “Hopefully I can inherit the business and carry on the tradition.”

For Paige, this business is mom, pop, son and daughter together time, she said.

“At our last festival, Heather was using the sample cups to catch the rain dripping off the tent,” Paige said. “It gets them away from video games and gives them responsibility.”

The Buckinghams have focused lately on where they want their business to grow, Paige said.

“Everything is just snowballing, but in a positive way,” Paige said. “It’s like snow in the middle of July.”

Come early August, Buck’s kettle corn will be sold in Checkers grocery store. Buckingham said he just dropped in and asked and they agreed.

“Lawrence likes local businesses,” Buckingham said. “And it benefits us because we are able to monitor our stock.”

Students have been Buck’s main customers, Buckingham said, mostly because they love to snack.

Maddie Naas, St. Louis senior, said she thought Buckingham was very likable and a family man after meeting him at Buck’s tent at the Sidewalk Sale.

“The family is very excited and passionate about their product,” Naas said. “Especially passionate about KU students buying it.”

Naas said that she usually doesn’t like kettle corn, but that Buck’s was just too good.

“It’s not too sweet, and not too salty,” Naas said. “But the best part is it’s a family business; they all help out.”

The Buckingham’s kettle corn business will expand to the hands of tailgaters this fall.

“We are going to have a tailgating tent along 10th and Mississippi during home football games,” Buckingham said. “Passerbys smell it and they can just grab some and go.”

The smell of Buck’s kettle corn is a huge attraction, Buckingham said.

“But the best part is eating it,” he said.

— — Edited by David Ugarte

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