Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, June 25 - July 1, 2015
BUSINESS
Page 21A
Sales popping at Tiffany’s Popcorn Cafe
by Kathy Mitchell
Larenzo Reid, owner of
Tiffany’s Popcorn Cafe, in
Lithonia envisions snack ca
fes such as his emerging into
international icons similar
to shops in popular coffee
chains.
“I want this to be a place
people come to hang out
with friends, read, work at
their computers and enjoy
something delicious while
they’re doing it,” said Reid,
noting that the store has a
shelf of free reading material
for customers. There’s one
store now, but Reid said he
pictures a franchise in the
future.
Reid said he chose pop
corn as his central snack
because flavored popcorn
is growing in popularity,
and the market “is not fully
maximized.”
A good deal of Tiffany’s
sales is outside the store,
Reid said. “We do a lot of
catering. Weddings are big.
We can make popcorn in
the theme colors, and it goes
over so well there’s often
none left for the bride and
groom. The popcorn is usu
ally a bigger hit than the
wedding cake.”
He said showers, espe
cially baby showers, are also
a large part of his business.
“People like that popcorn
lets them play around with
the idea of the baby popping
out.”
Despite the name, Tiffa
ny’s offers an array of snack
foods in addition to pop
corn. There are cookies and
Larenzo Reid stocks approximately 25 flavors of popcorn in addition to
ice cream, Italian ices and other goodies.
candies and the varieties of
ice cream and Italian ices ri
val the varieties of popcorn.
Customers are invited to
create their own milkshakes
by naming the ice cream and
flavoring combinations that
suit them. To help custom
ers with their choices, there’s
a list of popular milkshakes,
including orange vanilla
twist, salted caramel, lemon
custard and cookies and
cream.
Reid describes his sig
nature offering as “gourmet
popcorn.”
“We make everything
right here,” he said. “There
are usually about 25 flavors
available on any given day.
There are traditional flavors
such as cheese and caramel
that are always available.
Others vary. We’re always
experimenting with flavors.
I sometimes try flavor com
binations that I like. For ex
ample, I like jalapeno bacon
cheeseburgers so I created a
popcorn that captures those
flavors. I personally don’t
care for salt and vinegar, but
lots of people like it. It’s one
of our biggest sellers.”
There are approximately
an equal number of sweet
and savory flavors as well
as some that are a com
bination. A flavor called
“uptown,” for example, is a
combination of cheese and
caramel popcorn and is the
store’s No. 1 seller, according
to Reid. Another popular
choice, Sweet Auburn Spice,
he said, is sweet, savory and
spicy. Popcorn is available
is sizes ranging from less
than an ounce to large tins
that are available with sports
team logos.
The store in Covington
Square has been open for
about a year and a half. Reid
said the shopping plaza at
Covington Highway and
Panola Road in Lithonia was
the site he first considered
before opening in 2012.
“The place was pretty run
down at the time. The weeds
were so high you couldn’t
see the stores from the road,
so I opened in the South
Hairston area instead. The
developer now operating
Covington Square is doing a
much better job so I decided
to move here, where there’s
a lot more traffic than at my
former location.”
Reid, who has owned a
gym and other businesses,
said he’s a born entrepre
neur. “I can’t imagine doing
anything other than running
a business,” he said. “I’ve had
regular jobs for brief peri
ods, but it really wasn’t for
me. The longest ‘job’ I ever
had was the eight and a half
years I spent in the Marine
Corps.”
As a business owner,
Reid said, he believes in
excellence in every area.
“You have to offer a superior
product, and I refuse to have
anything less than legend
ary customer service in any
business I operate,” he said.
Reid said he finds it
frustrating that people are
often hesitant to try a locally
owned business. “I’ve had
people say, ‘I’ve wanted to
come here, but I was wait
ing for see if you would last.’
Don’t they realize a business
won’t last unless customers
come in?”
Businesses and commu
nities should support each
other, Reid said. The black
board on the cafe wall not
only lists menu items but
also information about the
store’s community support
efforts. The board notes that
Tiffany’s helped community
groups such as churches
and school groups raise ap
proximately $23,000 in 2014.
“We’re on track to make that
number $41,000 in 2015,” he
said.
Notice of Public Hearing for
Clarkston Millage Rate
Notice is hereby given that prior to setting the tax
millage rate for 2015, the Clarkston Mayor and
Council will hold a Public Hearing at City Hall,
3921 Church Street, Clarkston Georgia, on
Tuesday, July 7,2015 at 7:00pm on the proposed
millage rate. The City Council is proposing to
adopt a millage rate for 2015 that exceed the
rollback rate by 53.80 percent. All concerned
citizens are invited to attend.
NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
The Governing Authority of the City of Clarkston has tentatively
adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property
taxes by 53.80 percent.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this
tax increase to be held at City Hall on July 1 at 7:00PM, July 7,
2015 at 10:30 am and on July 7, 2015 at 7:00pm.
This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 21.15 mills,
an increase of 7.381 mills over the rollback rate. Without this
tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than
13.719 mills.
The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value
of $65,000 is approximately $191.90.
The proposed increase on a non-homestead property with a fair
market value of $185,000 is approximately $546.19.
DeKalb Chamber
■ HI IHWrRCH Ot, | Vi.iii 1
LOCALLY DRIVEN
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, Gfl 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org