ABOUT NBNKC
NBNKC is not just popcorn. From our kettle to hand process, to the experience we create, everything we do is with purpose to bring communities together and make relationships sweeter. We invite you to join our community of Popheads!
IT'S NOT JUST POPCORN
NBNKC is a leading artisan kettle corn company making the world a sweeter place by providing our Popheads with exceptional service, experiences, elevating communities and unique kettle corn blends. We enhance our teams lives by creating a fun, family, oriented environment where they feel challenged and connected to our mission to Pop with a Purpose. Our fans will reimagine how kettle corn is crafted and will be able to experience our products for life’s sweet moments world wide online, our national locations and kettle corn food trucks.
OUR KETTLE TO HAND PROCESS
At Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co., we specialize in a small-batch artisan style of crafting unique sweet and salty kettle corn blends, using only the highest quality ingredients and no preservatives. Each addictive batch is fresh to order each time! We start with our classic kettle corn loved by all that has that perfect balance of sweet and salty. Then using it as our base, we craft our other amazing, customized blends with that extra yum factor. Every guilt-free batch is special to us and is made with love from our passionate and dedicated team.
We began at local farmers markets in 2014 Birmingham, Al such Peppers Place Farmers Market one of the largest in the state. Since then, we have expanded to a production space where we can fulfill in-store and online ordering. And, we can’t forget about Ms. Poppy! We’ve added our spunky food truck to take us out in the community to share Birmingham’s most favorite snack (soon-to-be the world’s most favorite snack). You’ll see us pop up at community happenings, special events, weddings, corporate functions, university activities, and birthday parties. But, you can also bring us home for those Friday movie nights. When celebrating life’s sweet moments, we want to be a part of your special occasions – big or small.
We keep it interestingly different here at NBNKC. We’re creating an experience that families, friends, PoPcorn and kettle corn lovers will never forget. If you follow us on social media or see us out in the community, you’ll hear us rave about our customers who we affectionately refer to as “PoPheads”. They are loyal and could eat NBN Kettle Corn for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Popheads hang out with us often and are always finding ways to make the world a better place to live. We love our PoPheads! Find out more about how you can become a PoPhead here (link to your newsletter or PoPHead page).
Our kettle corn represents community! We strive to make relationships sweeter by sharing our delicious snack that brings people together, puts smiles on faces and pleasure to the palette because we believe that we are Sweeter Together! Through our Poppin’ With A Purpose efforts we impact the communities we serve in ways that keep social responsibility at the forefront of our operation. This includes our community involvement pillars such as our Make Your Local Pop initiative, donation and sponsorships, PoPraising, volunteerism and mentoring and jobs programs such as Birmingham Promise and Grace House Ministries.
You see…It’s Not Just PoPcorn at Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co. It’s FUN, FRESH & FESTIVE!
A FAMILY THAT POPS TOGETHER
What’s poppin? Glad you cared enough to take time to meet the creators behind the addictively delicious kettle corn. You’re already exemplifying traits of a Loyal PoPhead! Welcome to the family!
Their story is one about determination and embracing all experiences that they encounter. The understand that it’s the salty moments mixed with the sweet moments that makes life POP! In order to enjoy the sweet moments you have to remember the salty times that you got through.
What’s poppin? Glad you cared enough to take time to meet the creators behind the addictively delicious kettle corn. You’re already exemplifying traits of a Loyal PoPhead! Welcome to the family!
Meet Tanesha Sims-Summers, Founder and CEO, and her husband Clem Summers, Founder and CMO of Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co. Tanesha is a graduate of UAB, and Clem is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Their story is one about determination and embracing all experiences that they encounter. The understand that it’s the salty moments mixed with the sweet moments that makes life POP! In order to enjoy the sweet moments you have to remember the salty times that you got through.
NBNKC’s story and entrepreneur journey truly begins when Tanesha was a young girl when her grandmother gifted her a snow cone kit for Christmas. She put it to work making and selling snow cones in the neighborhood. That love of business continued into selling popsicles with childhood friends on their street near Legion Field during Iron Bowl games.
In the summer of 2014, while Tanesha was in corporate america, advancing in her career, and on maternity leave with her youngest daughter Naughty But Nice was born. She was a working mom in a career she was thriving in with two 10-year-old boys, a new wife and newly-born daughter when her aunt encouraged her to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship with a new business – one involving kettle corn. Although Tanesha had not worked with kettle corn, the idea of creating a fun and purposeful brand seemed fun. The opportunity to take a snack that you typically find at the fair and help people to reimagine how this snack is crafted was exciting. Why wait for a fair to enjoy it?! She wanted this happy treat to be enjoyed daily.The birth of her second daughter in 2015 gave her the courage to part ways from her career. Being a mom of four and a desire to pursue a passion spurred Tanesha to take a leap of faith to pursue NBNKC full time. She remembered a phrase her grandfather used to tell her, “It’s not what you make, but what you do with what you make that will determine what you get to keep and bless others with.” Remembering this mantra, she gained the courage to take the leap.
Being inspired by seeing both of their dads run businesses, the encouragement by Tanesha’s aunt and motivation from their children, Tanesha and Clem were determined to make this a family affair that would positively impact their family and community. In 2020, Clem was laid off of his corporate job as a result of the pandemic which gave him an opportunity to fully invest into NBNKC. This was a fearful yet exciting time. Losing Clem’s income and benefits left them with so many questions of how they would survive and particularly, how would they keep their family safe and healthy during a global pandemic. They found a way to turn a salty moment sweet. Clem has been able to pour his passion for people and sales into their company. Working together as a team strengthened the bond and closeness even more for this amazing family of six (seven- when you count their sweet pup- Merry). In fact, you’ve probably seen the whole family pitching in at some point working local markets, events or at their production space cutting up and having a great time with their amazing team and Popheads. It’s important for Tanesha and Clem that the children understand business, community and giving back. Watching their children grow with the company and become leaders has been so rewarding and fulfilling for them.
Follow their journey on social media to get more inspiration and join them in their mission to make the world a sweeter place to live. Make sure you find an opportunity to PoP by and see them soon!
OUR MISSION
Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co.™ is committed to offering the freshest kettle corn possible through our small batch kettle to hand process while using the highest quality ingredients. We strive to keep all aspects of the company fun, fresh, and festive, while holding creativity and social responsibility at the heart of our customer-focused business model. Through community involvement and building relationships with our customers and community, Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Company’s mission is to become a staple snack food in families, companies, organizations and communities celebrations and sweetest moments.
OUR VALUES
We will continue to invest in our people, processes and systems to provide the freshest product using the most quality ingredients while providing superior service in a timely manner.
We focus on building trust, respect, accountability and honesty to our team, our customers and the communities we serve directly or indirectly.
Small business relationships and collaborations are important and critical to our growth and we are committed to working alongside other local businesses.
We are passionate about listening to and learning from our team and customers to improve our product, services, culture and community support while offering a space to be transparent, honest and effective in our communication.
A great asset to our mission are the customers we serve. We want to to provide a FUN, FRESH, FESTIVE and unique yet simple products that reflect the diversity of the customers and communities we serve.
We are dedicated to the personal and professional enrichment in our the lives of our team members. Our team is essential and our most valuable asset and we believe creating diversity and a culture that fosters appreciation, hard work, rewards, value of team and their families will be reflected in the growth of our customer base.
Our team and our customers make up our communities and our communities support the growth of our company. We are committed to enriching schools, businesses and communities we serve by investing time, resources, employment opportunities and youth engagement.