Sweet Successes: Michigan Entrepreneurs Are Cooking Up Confections and Community

Chad Jordan has a passion for popcorn. In 2005, he used his credit card to fund the startup costs for Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, reserved a space at the Lansing City Market and started selling caramel corn. The leap of faith paid off.

“Popcorn is fun,” Jordan says. “It’s not just for family night at home; it’s for life celebrations like birthday parties, baby showers and wedding receptions.”

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Jordan sells more than just caramel corn. Cravings Gourmet Popcorn, now a brick-and-mortar location in the Old Town neighborhood in Lansing, offers 20 different flavors, including white cheddar cheese, dill pickle, coconut chocolate drizzle, fruity rainbow remix and many more. Each flavor is produced in small batches and made in-house.

Nikki Thompson Frazier had a similar startup experience. She started baking cakes in an incubator kitchen in the Allen Neighborhood Center in Lansing and selling the confections at the Meridian Township Farmers Market in Okemos, where Sweet Encounter Bakery was an instant hit.

“Almost everybody loves something yummy and baked,” she says.

A Sweet Encounter Bakery storefront is in the works. In the meantime, Frazier continues baking cakes, cupcakes and other sweet treats for special events.

Both Jordan and Frazier specialize in serving customers with specific dietary needs. For example, all Cravings Gourmet Popcorn is gluten-free and made in a facility free of nuts and allergens. Sweet Encounter Bakery also makes gluten-free cakes, plus Frazier can make soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free and vegan confections.

“Every kid should be able to have a cupcake on their birthday,” she says.

Community Connections

For Jordan, having a niche has allowed Cravings Gourmet Popcorn to develop a loyal following in the community – it also helps him stand out from the competition.

Thanks to the many flavors, the gluten- and nut-free snacks from Cravings Gourmet Popcorn are popular for school fundraisers. Jordan is happy to help community groups raise money. “Businesses need to lend a hand to the community [through] donations, volunteering or sponsoring a team,” he says.

In 2020, Frazier expanded the Sweet Encounter Bakery community beyond Lansing. She launched Sweet Encounter Kids, a cooking subscription box featuring recipes, cooking tools and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) activities. The subscription boxes have attracted families from 21 states and counting.

Both entrepreneurs also credit community resources for helping them start their businesses. For example, Jordan received help with market research and business planning at the Small Business Development Center at Lansing Community College, and Frazier found support and resources through groups like Lansing Economic Area Partnership, the Michigan State University Product Center and the Michigan Women’s Foundation.

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Representation Matters

Running a successful business is about more than generating profit.

Jordan receives calls and emails from aspiring entrepreneurs looking for advice on starting a business.

“Most of the people who reach out to me are people of color,” he says. “People want to see people who look like themselves being successful.”

Frazier believes it’s important to showcase Black, Indigenous and people of color as entrepreneurs, especially in food businesses, adding, “The history of food in this country is tied to people of color.”

“I watched my mom build her business and saw all of the challenges she faced as a single mother and a Black woman,” Frazier adds. “I want my girls [ages 7 and 10] to see that it’s possible for Black women to own businesses and build legacies for their families.”

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