Any and every type of restaurant seems to pop up in Dallas. What you don’t see a lot of are popcorn shops.
One family recently popped into the industry after opening Avery’s Savory Popcorn on Ross Avenue. Husband and wife Allen and Sherry Avery and their son, Steffon, are bringing flavor to the lackluster downtown block.
“Because I love popcorn so much.” That’s the reason Sherry gave when asked why she and her family — who’ve never been in the popcorn business — opened up the store.
“I was doing nonprofit work, and my husband is a staff recruiter,” Sherry says. “He’s still doing that, and I do this full time.”
Her full-time duties include making sure the prices are just as good as the flavors. So far, so good. Avery’s Savory Popcorn is serving favorites like dill pickle, bacon cheddar and jalapeno cheese in sizes starting at $2.50. Candied & Caramels like Cornfetti and the Dallas Mix — a butter, cheddar and caramel combo — offer sizes starting at $2.75.
“We try to set ourselves apart from other gourmet popcorn shops,” Sherry says. “I’ve tested many competitors’ products and felt that I could make ours better, and I feel that it is better. I don’t necessarily know that our ingredients are better, but we have more heart in it.”
But now that they've been open two months, does she still love popcorn the same?
“I still love popcorn, I still eat popcorn. I feel as the time goes on, that’ll probably wear off, just a little bit,” Sherry says with a laugh.
Avery’s Savory Popcorn, 1001 Ross Ave. (West End)