Who We Are
About Us
Merritt-Pop Popcorn began as a simple idea in 1984 and has grown into a family-run business spanning three generations. Over the years, our popcorn has been enjoyed at iconic venues like Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and Neyland Stadium in Knoxville (home of the Tennessee Volunteers).
Merritt Popcorn Company is an active member of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Pick Tennessee Products program.
Our Story
It all started with John Merritt—“Buddy” to his friends, “Pappy” to his family—a longtime sales representative for Nabisco with over 30 years of experience in foodservice distribution. Though he knew the industry well, popcorn production was new ground.
Meanwhile, John’s youngest son, Mike, was running M&M Farm Supply in Pulaski, TN. In 1984, a local farmer had a bumper crop of popcorn and needed cash fast. He offered Mike several thousand pounds at a bargain price. Mike could’ve blended it into livestock feed—but instead, he called his dad:
“See if any of your foodservice customers need popcorn before I send it to the feed mill.”
A few days later (so the story goes), John had sold it all. Just like that, Merritt-Pop was born.
John partnered with a local farm to grow popcorn on contract and soon retired from Nabisco to run the company full-time. True to our slogan—“Grown in the Tennessee Valley”—John made it a priority to buy locally whenever possible. Over the years, our popcorn has been grown on the Merritt family farm and by trusted farmers throughout the region.
Eventually, Mike’s sons Michael and David joined the company, becoming the third generation of Merritts to carry on the family tradition. When John officially retired (again!) at the age of 82, Michael and David took over as co-owners on January 1, 2010.
In 2024, we proudly celebrated 40 years in business—and we’re honored to still serve many of our original customers, including Performance Foodservice (formerly Reinhart/The IJ Company), US Foodservice (formerly King’s), and Briggs, Inc. These longtime partners were also among John’s foodservice clients during his Nabisco days.
Our Values
Our family roots run deep in Giles County, Tennessee. The Boyd family first settled here in the 1820s, and the Merritt family has been raising cattle and farming the land for over a century. Farming, faith, and hard work have always been a way of life.
In addition to co-running Merritt-Pop with his brother Michael, David is a Tennessee Certified Master Beef Producer, and Merritt Farm specializes in premium USDA beef.
Though the world has changed, the Merritt brothers still hold fast to the values passed down through generations—honesty, responsibility, and taking pride in a job well done. Our name is on every bag of popcorn we sell, and that means something to us. If a customer isn’t satisfied, we’ll make it right—because that’s how Pappy did business, and it’s how we were raised.
We’d rather close the doors than run this company any other way. This isn’t just a product—it’s our family’s legacy in every kernel.