What started as a discussion between two booths at a farmers’ market has become a boon and a legacy for the Culp family.
The Culps were selling sweet corn and produce at the Ligonier Farmers Market when they struck up a friendship with Sam Buckles, founder and then-owner of King Korn. He was looking to sell his business — and luckily, they were in the right place at the right time to say yes.
That was 2021, and four years later, they’ve kept the name and expanded the business to include a storefront at their property, located on 200 North, between U.S. 33 and Lake Wawasee, on Noble REMC lines.
“There are a lot of popcorn companies out there to choose from,” Gary Culp said. “We’re different.”
Though Gary is considered the president of the company, Larry, his father, is adamant that it’s truly a family business. That includes Gary’s sister, Amber; his wife, Jenn; and his two children, Olivia and Oliver.
“We don’t have titles. We all just do everything,” Larry said.
The family does everything from popping and flavoring to bagging and shipping.
While the only piece they don’t control is the growing of their kernels, they have plans to change that in 2026 by taking that on as well. It’s important to them to use butterfly popcorn, like the type found in movie theaters, because you get more coating per piece of popcorn, meaning customers get more of the flavors they create.
And they have a lot of fun — and obstacles — when creating those flavors.
From puffy chow to beer can chicken, each recipe has been tested and created from scratch. Each batch of caramel or candy-flavored popcorn uses three pounds of butter, making 20 bags of popcorn. That means if a recipe doesn’t go well, it’s a tough loss.
“It’s kind of like a do or die when you try something new. You never know how it’s going to turn out,” said Larry, who is still working with his family to perfect a Mountain Dew-flavored popcorn.
They’re currently ramping up for their busiest season of the year, mid- September to mid-January — the holidays — but the summer has been kind to them because of their location near Lake Wawasee.
They ship to all 48 states in the continental U.S., and though they’ve had requests from overseas, they’re not eager to take on those logistics.
For now, it’s about staying close to their roots.
They help their community by providing popcorn for local fundraisers at schools and churches. They’ve also kept their prices stable during the past few years of supply cost unpredictability and inflation.
And of course, the family named what’s traditionally called Chicago-style popcorn, the combination of cheddar and caramel corn, to Cromwell Style in tribute to where they come from.
With 72 different recipes and a rotation of 45 in stock at any one time, they want to keep growing and give more to their customers.
“My goal is that when I’m dead and gone,” Larry said, “these two [his grandchildren, Oliver and Olivia] will be sitting on a big company with lots of employees.”
WHAT SHOULD I ORDER?
Most popular flavors
Old Fashioned Caramel
Cromwell Style (caramel and cheddar)
Oreo Cookie (made with original Oreo crème and pieces)
Sweet Heat (caramel and jalapeno cheddar)
Snack Mix
Underrated flavors you should try
Memphis BBQ
Steakhouse
Cheeseburger
Beer Can Chicken
HOW DO I BUY OR ORDER?
Visit kingkorn.com to shop online or follow King Korn on Facebook to see which farmers market or trade show they’ll be at next.
You can also visit their storefront at 10199 W 200 North in Cromwell.