Popsarap Popcorn Finds Its Home in Blauvelt

Leony Anne McKeown did not set out to take on a commercial space only a few weeks after selling her first bag of popcorn. She had messaged the owners of what turned out to be a closing popcorn shop to ask about leftover supplies: tins, pouches, maybe a heat sealer. They came back with an offer for the equipment and the lease itself.

"I didn't think it was possible," she says. "It was a great opportunity at what felt like the wrong time: Popsarap was only a few weeks old, it's my first business, and I still have a 9-to-5 in the city." She took the weekend to crunch the numbers. Staying in the shared kitchen would have meant working around other people's schedules on top of her own. "But I didn't want to wonder 'what if.' If there was ever a time to take a leap of faith, it was now."

She describes the fit as something that felt meant to be: no other nearby shop had the exact equipment she had planned to acquire two or three years down the line, and having her own space means more popcorn, more consistent quality, and around-the-clock access. "It still doesn't feel real," she says.

Every bag starts with corn and coconut oil, both major crops in the Philippines. Leony studied abroad in the Philippines and lived in Iowa, the Corn State. Popsarap makes its popcorn in small batches using non-GMO kernels, handcrafted in New York.

The company debuted at Ubeland NYC with three ube flavors: ube coconut with chocolate drizzle, ube caramel, and ube cheddar, the last one inspired by ube keso ice cream. Classics like caramel and cheddar remain in the lineup. A seasonal apple cinnamon caramel, made with real apples, is what she calls the perfect Hudson Valley flavor. Future flavor ideas include a banana caramel popcorn inspired by turon, a Filipino dessert of bananas and caramelized brown sugar.

Landing in Blauvelt carries its own meaning for her. On the drive to the new space, she kept noticing Bataan Road. She looked it up and found it described as the last remaining street from Camp Shanks, the WWII embarkation camp, named for the Battle of Bataan. "It makes me feel at home, like Popsarap is getting its first official home right where it's meant to be," she says. She notes that October is Filipino American History Month, National Popcorn Poppin' Month, and Women's Small Business Month, and sees it as a fitting time to introduce Popsarap and learn Rockland's history.

Leony has a Kickstarter campaign running for the business. "I'm grateful to everyone who welcomed me back to New York and to Rockland," she says. "I hope Popsarap becomes a go-to souvenir or gift for visitors."