If you’re struggling to name your popcorn business, don’t worry. You’re in the right place. In this article, I cover some of the top tips for naming your new business as well as how to make sure the name is legally available for you to use.
Industry Overview: Popcorn Business
Tips for Naming your Gourmet Popcorn Shop Business
Naming a business is hard, especially if you don’t have any ideas or a place to start. So, before you dive in, grab a piece of paper and a pen or open up a blank spreadsheet.
Then, use it as a place to brainstorm ideas and write down words or phrases that come to mind as you go through the tips below.
From there, we’ll talk about narrowing things down and landing on the perfect name.
1. Keep It as Short as Possible
Short business names are usually snappier, catchier, and easier to remember. Ideally, you want to stick to two to five syllables and hopefully no more than 25 characters total.
However, the shorter the name, the better.
That said, there are exceptions to this, and it’s not a hard rule. But when you think about huge, notable brands, which ones come to mind?
Nike. Apple. Ikea. Febreeze. Target. Honeywell.
They’re easy to remember because they’re short, simple, and brandable.
Obviously, there are exceptions to these rules. But typically, the shorter and simpler your name, the easier it is for everyone to remember.
2. Avoid Words That Are Hard to Hear and Pronounce
Voice-to-text and voice search is more popular now than ever before. So, it’s important to consider making your name easy to pronounce and hear.
To do this, avoid using:
- Commonly misspelled words
- Complex terms that are hard to spell
- Words that have several pronunciations
- Homophones like to, too, and two
Try to keep things as concise and simple as possible.
3. Consider Popcorn-Related Terms
Since you’re opening a popcorn business, it might make sense to use popcorn or taste-related terms in the name. It may help just to start brainstorming terms, phrases, and words to get all your ideas down on paper.
A few examples of this could include Central Pop!, Fresh Pop’d Popcorn Co, It’s Poppin’ Gourmet Kettle or Wild About Popcorn.
For a boost of creativity, expand use the thesaurus to find synonyms around the words of what your business does. You can either use the thesaurus function from your word processor or thesaurus.com to come up with additional synonyms.
From there, you can cross off bad ideas or any terms you don’t like.
4. Phrases Your Audience and Competition Uses
Your business exists for your target audience, so it’s important to consider phrases and terms they use when talking about popcorn.
There are quite a few places you can look to see what your customers (and competitors) are saying, including:
- Facebook groups, posts, and stories
- Forums related to the popcorn business industry
- Competitor websites, brochures, and flyers
Alternatively, you can ask friends or relatives in your target audience. Hearing it directly from them may help you brainstorm and narrow down your choices.
Remember to avoid anything limiting your business’s future growth if you decide to go in another direction down the road.
5. Neighborhoods, Cities, and Nicknames
Including the name of your city, street, or neighborhood is an excellent way to encourage local shopping and create a strong sense of community in your area.
You can also think about nicknames for your city or neighborhood, as well. Here are some examples to use as inspiration:
- Auburn Popcorn Co
- Baja Kettle Corn San Diego
- Mile High Popcorn
With that said, make sure the name you choose isn’t limiting if you decide to move or expand your popcorn business down the road.
6. Incorporate Your Name
If you’re still struggling to find the perfect name, consider using your name, a nickname, or something personal and unique to you.
This is a fantastic way to build a personal brand if that’s something you want to do. Some great examples of this in action include:
- Belle’s Popcorn
- Cowgirl Kettle Corn
- Ike’s Gourmet Popcorn
- Max’s Firehouse Popcorn
- What’s Poppin’ Texas?
If you go this route, keep in mind it may make it harder to sell your popcorn business later on.
List of Catchy Popcorn Business Names
Here is a list of existing popcorn business names that may help give you some creative ideas. While many of these names may be available for you to use, be sure to check first to be sure the name you want can be used.
- Always Poppin’ Kettle Corn
- American Pop Corn Company
- America’s Favorite Popcorn
- Atlanta’s Famous Popcorn Company
- Auburn Popcorn Co
- Austin Gourmet Popcorn
- Avery’s Savory Popcorn
- Back In Time Popcorn
- Baja Kettle Corn San Diego
- Belle’s Popcorn
- Black Tie Popcorn
- B’Poppin
- Central Pop!
- Clusters Handcrafted Popcorn
- Cole’s Chocolates & Popcorn
- Cornfusion Gourmet Popcorn
- Cowgirl Kettle Corn
- Crack In A Sack
- Crave 4 Gourmet Popcorn
- Crazy 4 Popcorn
- Crispy Pop
- Decadence Popcorn
- Delicious Kettle Corn
- Destiny’s Famous Kettle Corn
- Enjoyacorn
- Epic Popcorn
- Fancy Pants Popcorn
- Faris Gourmet Popcorn
- Finest City Kettle Corn
- Fresh Pop’d Popcorn Co
- Good Vibes Kettle Corn
- Grandpa’s Popcorn & Sweets
- Henry’s Gourmet Popcorn Shop
- Huskerland Popcorn
- I Love Popcorn
- Ike’s Gourmet Popcorn
- Indulge Gourmet Popcorn
- It’s Popcorn Time!
- It’s Poppin’ Gourmet Kettle
- Ivey’s Kettle Corn
- Jus Pop’n
- K & T Kettle Corn
- Kettle Corn King
- Kettle Corn Kreations
- Kettle Corn N More!
- Kettle Corn Shoppe
- Ma & Pa Kettle KORN
- Mad Hatters Gourmet Popcorn
- Madd Kernels Kettle Corn
- Max’s Firehouse Popcorn
- Mike & Moe’s Kettle Corn Co
- Mile Hi Popcorn
- Miss Carol’s Kettlecorn
- Mr. Corn Popper
- Mr. Pops Concession Co
- Noble Popcorn
- Old Fashioned Kettle Corn
- One Stop Pop Shop
- Original Popcorn House
- Papa’s Midwest Kettle Corn
- People’s Republic Of Popcorn
- Pop N Fizz
- Pop Pops Kettle Corn
- Popbelly’s Popcorn
- Popcorn & Sweet Treats
- Popcorn Bar
- Popcorn Blast
- Popcorn Cart
- Popcorn Co
- Popcorn Cove
- Popcorn Etc
- Popcorn Fetti
- Popcorn Flavors
- Popcorn Hut
- Popcorn Junction
- Popcorn King
- Popcorn Kingdom
- Popcorn Market
- Popcorn Palace
- Popcorn Parlor
- Popcorn Party
- Popcorn Pete
- Popcorn Pitstop
- Popcorn Place
- Popcorn Shop
- Popcorn Spot
- Popcorn Stand
- Popcorn Stop
- Popcorn Unicorn
- Popcorn World
- Popcornology
- Popculture Gourmet Popcorn
- Pop-N-Fresh Kettle Corn
- Poppin’ Off Popcorn
- Poppy’s Gourmet Popcorn
- Pops Popcorn Shop
- Prolific Popcorn
- Salty Sisters Gourmet Popcorn
- Scrumptious Popcorn LLC
- Smith Family Popcorn
- Stupid Good Gourmet Popcorn
- Sugar Valley Kettle Corn
- Sunset Popcorn
- Sunshine Popcorn
- Taste Of Flavor Popcorn
- Tasty Popcorn Company
- The Popcorn Factory
- The Popcorn Guy
- The Popcorn Maker
- The Popcorn Wagon
- Two Sisters Kettlekorn
- Uncle Dave’s Kettle Corn
- What’s Poppin Texas
- Whole Lotta Popcorn
- Wild About Popcorn
Is Your Popcorn Name Available to Use?
At this point, you should have several top considerations to choose from. And the best way to narrow it down further is to check each one for availability.
This step is vital because using a name that someone else is using could be very costly, time-consuming to rebrand your business, and possibly embarrassing. There are several places to look to check whether a name is available to use, so let’s walk through the common ones.
Can the business name be registered in your state?
If you plan to use a specific business name, you may be required by the state to verify it’s available to use.
Related: How to check business name availability in your state
Is your popcorn name already trademarked?
When searching for a name for your new popcorn business, you need to make sure your new name isn’t trademarked by someone else. If it is, you may not be allowed to use it legally.
Thankfully, the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO) makes trademark searching a breeze through their Trademark Database.
If a name doesn’t appear in this search, it isn’t necessarily available. Every business has some limited protection through a common law trademark. This means another business can’t open up down the street with the same name, as this creates confusion for customers. Also, be sure to check local competitors by doing a Google search and looking through the Yellow Pages.
If your name is available and you want to protect it from being used by anyone else, you can register your name with the USPTO.
Related: How to check for a trademark
Finding the Perfect Name: Putting It All Together
By now, you should have a lengthy list of words, phrases, and terms you can use in your business name. At this point, I highly recommend going through and removing any that are hard to spell or pronounce.
Now, you can start combining pieces together until something stands out. It may help to create a list of potential names you can use. From there, you can narrow things down to your favorites.
But before you make your final decision, it’s important that your new name passes a few tests.
Say It Out Loud
Make sure you say your new name out loud. It may look great as a logo, domain name, and on a business card. But it also needs to sound good when you say it out loud.
You can also sit down with someone and talk about your business. Does saying the name in casual conversation sound natural? If not, you may want to consider something simpler or easier to say.
Logo Design
Lastly, think about how to incorporate your new name into a logo. Logos should be simple, memorable, and indicative of your brand.
Take Apple, for example. Their business name is easily incorporated into a logo. And today, it’s a household symbol that everyone immediately recognizes.
A logo is an important part of your brand identity, so don’t forget to consider turning your name into a memorable logo as you make your final decision.
Related: How to create a logo for your business.
Hopefully, you now have a list with some good business name ideas. Once you have narrowed this list to just a few and researched that they are all available, start asking friends, family, and potential customers their thoughts to get feedback, and then pick your perfect popcorn business name!
