Father-son kettle corn maker says sales are popping
Wayne Andrus says he and his son, Bryant, have one of the world’s simplest, yet effective, marketing plans for their business.
“The smell of fresh kettle corn is the best advertising there is,” Wayne Andrus said.
The father and son duo are the engine behind Plantation Kettle Corn, a mobile food vendor based out of Destrehan that can be found each Saturday at the German Coast Farmer’s Market.
The two have been running the business for the past eight years and has become known for many of its tasty servings, be it pastalaya, jambalaya, cracklin and, of course, kettle corn.
One thing that makes the business unique is the food is almost 100 percent prepared on-site.
“It’s fresh,” Wayne Andrus said. “The cracklin, we actually prepare that on the Friday night beforehand, because it can be dangerous to burn all that grease up to 400 degrees with so many people around. But the kettle corn, we pop that right there. People tell us they can smell it from the parking lot. That’s how they know we’re here that day.”Bryant added, “When the smell starts, that’s how it sells.”Wayne started with the company years ago as its marketing director.
He resigned from the position, but learned its previous owner had decided to get out of the business.
“My dad thought about buying it then,” Bryant explained, “but it was sold to someone else we knew. But two years later, those guys sold it to us.”
Since then, it’s been a rewarding experience for both father and son.
“It’s creating memories that I know I’ll never forget,” Bryant said. “It gives us a great reason to spend quality time together.”
Wayne concurred.
“We thoroughly enjoy working together,” he said. “Our preparation always stays the same, because he does the seasoning. We’ve been doing this for many years. It’s really fun for us, and has been since we took it over.”Both said the Farmer’s Market has been a great boon to their success.
“We’re out there every single week, so that’s where so many of our repeat customers come from,” Bryant said. “A lot of them know us on a first name basis and we know theirs as well.”
Anyone interested in learning more about Plantation Kettle Corn can call Wayne Andrus at (985) 758-2593 or Bryant Andrus at (985) 212-9393.
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