We had the good fortune of connecting with Pete Suter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pete, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
We started Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn Company simply to fill demand in the local market for quality popcorn. We own a single screen movie theatre and regularly had customers purchasing extra popcorn to take home with them after the movie – or even stopping in during a walk to purchase popcorn without even going to the movie! We realized that people LOVE popcorn on a daily basis – no movie needed!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve always lived by the mantra that you only get one trip around the block… and that career choices shouldn’t be based on economics. I began my career as an accountant after college and quickly learned that I hated it. Every career change I made after the 1st one was for lower pay – but a more enjoyable position. Along the way I also earned my doctorate in marketing and enjoyed teaching at the university level for a dozen years. I eventually left my tenured full professorship to focus on my young family and growing business. Chasing passion & career enjoyment has allowed us to live full lives with maximum exposure to our kids as they matured.

When we started Shirley’s, we did so out of market demand, and we have always been hyper focused on our customers – allowing them to be co-creators of our products. We focus specifically on strategic goals, not financial goals. We believe that profitability for a business is similar to food for a human… we need food to live, but we don’t live to eat. All businesses need to be profitable, but that’s not WHY they are in business. At Shirley’s, our mission is to open our doors every day with the expectation that we will help to make someone’s day a little bit brighter – and we win at this mission every single day!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have friends in from out of town, there are two businesses for sure to hit: 1) 1820 Brewwerks in Kalida, Ohio. Fantastic pizza, flatbreads, and of course, micro brews! Once dinner is over, we head to Gilboa for #2) Ice cream at Knueven Creamey… I became an ice cream snob after they opened! We’d also see a movie at the Shannon Theatre (our single screen theatre), and visit the local university (Bluffton University).

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Fred Rodabaugh has been my business mentor for the last 30 years. Fred and his wife Pat owned the single screen movie theatre that my wife and I now own. I started at the theatre when I was a senior in high school, and pestered Fred to sell it to me for 17 years – he finally did, and has been my mentor the entire time. Fred taught me how to work hard, invest in the community, and to do it all without the expectation of recognition or high profitability.

Website: www.shirleyspopcorn.com

Instagram: shirleyspopcorn

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutOhio is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.