Olive Oyl popcorn finds its way to store shelves

Attorney Angelo Angelakos acted on an idea and a craving he had a couple years ago while watching Monday Night Football.

The Lake in the Hills resident turned his simple idea involving popcorn into a business. The concept developed when Angelakos went to make stove-popped popcorn only to discover he was out of vegetable oil.

He decided to wing it and use the extra virgin olive oil he had in the cabinet. "I loved it. I never went back to using regular oil," Angelakos said.

His wife and friends shared his love for the popcorn made with olive oil. He decided to go for it and market the idea. "I'm tired of thinking of things and not following through," he said.

The process has taken more time than Angelakos and his wife, Maria, anticipated.

To help market their concept, the couple worked to obtain Olive Oyl, Popeye's fiesty, flirtatious girlfriend for their packaging. King Features, the company that owns the rights to the cartoon, approved a licensing agreement.

Olive Oyl Brand Foods Inc. was born.

After countless meetings with manufactures, graphic artists and vendors, the pre-popped popcorn made with extra virgin olive oil made its way to store shelves about eight months ago.

Angelakos, an attorney focusing on real estate law, stresses that his popcorn is healthier than the others on the market because of the healthier oil in which it's popped. The snack also has a slightly sweeter taste than other popcorns out there, Angelakos said.

"We were very particular about the extra virgin olive oil," he said. The oil they use comes from Kalamata, Greece, the hometown of Angelakos' late mother.

The popped corn, manufactured in Ohio, can be found at Sunset Foods in the northern suburbs, including Libertyville. The entrepreneur just signed deals to have the snack sold at Joe Caputo & Sons Fruit Market in Algonquin, Palatine and Des Plaines and Angelo Caputo's Fresh Markets in Addison, Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, Naperville and South Elgin.

"Now we're moving forward and trying to get the bigger retailers," said Angelakos, who is also talking to area schools and bowling alleys.

A one-ounce bag sells for about $1.30. There is also demand for a larger 4-ounce bag that will come out soon.

The next step for the small company is to expand the product line to include chips and other snacks. "We also want to sell the olive oil we use," said Angelakos, 44, who runs the business from his home.

Demonstrations at grocery stores have been a popular way to get the word and taste out about the new product. The next demonstration takes place Saturday Sept. 13 at Caputo's in Algonquin.

The concept has been going over well. "In a couple of the Sunset stores, sales have more than tripled," Angelakos said.

For more information, call (877) 270-3577.

Kim Mikus' small business column will now appear Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. Her Around the Malls retail column will run Fridays in Business, starting next week. Feel free to contact Kim at kmikus@dailyherald.com.