Mountaineer Popcorn employees Jade Erazo, left, and McKenna Valasek fill bags with gourmet popcorn during the soft opening on Oct. 23. Tabitha Johnston

MARTINSBURG — Mountaineer Popcorn opened the doors to its second location, at 851 E. Moler Ave., on Wednesday morning.

Established in Shepherdstown, the business has found a great amount of success since its founding in summer 2015 and, so, felt it was time to expand. The new space is about three times its original location at 102 E. German St.

“We’ve lived here in Martinsburg for about three years, and we have been fans of Mountaineer Popcorn for that same amount of time. We go to Shepherdstown a lot to their store down there. So, when we saw that they were opening a location here, we were stoked,” said Erika Beach, as she selected a couple bags of popcorn with her husband, Jeff. “I just love it. It’s the best popcorn around.”

Out of the dozens of unique popcorn varieties on Mountaineer Popcorn’s regular menu, the Beaches said their favorites were Pretzel Honey Mustard, Crabby Caramel and Honey Roasted Pecan. They also enjoy trying out the business’s seasonal options, as was the case on Wednesday, when they purchased a Crabby Caramel, along with a Harvest Mix. The couple said they appreciate the quality and variety offered by the business, which makes its products a great gifting option.

“They’re our go-to. We bring them out for Christmas and holidays as gifts. When we get people coming in from out of town, we give some to them,” Jeff said, mentioning that some of their friends have purchased autoship subscriptions from Mountaineer Popcorn after being exposed to the product by the Beaches.

Martinsburg resident Erika Beach, left, chats with Mountaineer Popcorn owner Erin Valasek during the soft opening on Oct. 23. Tabitha Johnston

Mountaineer Popcorn owners Erin and Mike Valasek said they purchased this location in Martinsburg in April after taking time to carefully consider possible areas for expansion. They came to the conclusion that opening a store in Martinsburg would be ideal due to its proximity to their home, their children’s school and the first location. This particular location stood out to them due to a traffic study finding that 12,000 vehicles pass by it every day.

“We had the most interest expressed from people in Martinsburg,” Erin said, mentioning they do their best to listen to customer feedback. “From more than any other area, we got the question, ‘Where can I get your popcorn in Martinsburg? I don’t have the time to drive to Shepherdstown.'”

The business had initially planned to open its Martinsburg location in the summer but due to other time commitments, was unable to do so. The Valaseks said they are thankful to have been able to open before the holiday season started, because the new location’s large production space will prove quite useful, as orders increase from those wanting to give unique party favors and gifts.

Even as they are getting their second location up-and-running, the Valaseks are already thinking about their next one, which they hope to open in Morgantown.

They have certainly come a long way over the nine years since Mountaineer Popcorn’s founding.

“We were traveling on one of my business trips, and my youngest at the time said she wanted to open her own business someday. We were just brainstorming about what that business could be, when we came across a popcorn shop in New Orleans,” Mike said. “Right away, we were like, there’s nothing like that around us!”

As soon as they returned home, Mike and Erin began researching the business opportunity and, in June 2015, purchased the necessary equipment to make popcorn commercially. They soon started cooking up gourmet recipes and selling popcorn at local markets. In October 2016, they opened their Shepherdstown location. In 2018, they purchased a farm on Scrabble Road, at which they grow all of the non-GMO corn used in their business.

“We are so excited for what the future holds,” Erin said.

Mountaineer Popcorn’s Martinsburg location is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Learn more at https://mountaineerpopcorn.com.