Small businesses, like WePop Popcorn, are popping up and adding to the small business landscape.

Military veteran Dionte Wilder, owner of WePop Popcorn, came up with the small business idea during injury recovery for double hip surgery.

“As I was recovering and taking it more seriously, I started ordering these products online and seeing how much family and friends were responding to me making popcorn and experiencing the different flavors I was trying,” Wilder said.

“It gave me a little bit more motivation in my recovery because a lot of times I was either bedridden or I couldn’t move very far, so this gave me the opportunity to mail things out to the people who I couldn’t travel to see, and they gave me great responses and lifted my mood up. Over time I got more comments from people, suggestions, and I studied more about the craft of being a popcorn artisan.”

The idea grew into business prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilder said he focused more time on it during 2020.

With over 40 flavors that rotate throughout the year, Wilder enjoys learning more about popcorn and including a variety of flavors including dill, Nigerian spices and more.

“A couple of the fan favorites are caramel and cheddar … It’s a great combination of salty and cheesy. Then we have a kettle corn.” 

Wilder said some other favorite flavors use a Nigerian spice mix.

“I make three flavors with it that are really popular,” Wilder said. “One is sweet heat, another is queso caliente and another is called Naija Grille.”

Wilder appreciates the Augusta community for embracing veterans and other small businesses into their community.

“In the military, I moved around a lot. I’m from Florida but to be somewhere and retire and call it home, you build different connections with people. They are not just associated with me being here stationed as a service member, but me being stationed here as a community member, a native to everyone that is around me,” Wilder said. “It means a lot to be able to be a part of the community, the way that they have accepted me and brought me in and the way I am able to give back and support the efforts of the community that helps me as well.”