The Sweetest Thing: My Visit to Laughing Mountain Gourmet Popcorn Store
Have you ever walked into a store and instantly smiled? That was the case when I visited Laughing Mountain Gourmet Popcorn for the first time. From the moment I walked in the door, I was greeted with delicious smells, a friendly environment, and the bright colors of the wide variety of popcorn flavors. I couldn’t help but smile. Owners Mark and Nancy Laufenberg immediately made me feel welcome as we talked about Laughing Mountain, Jack Daniels and all things that taste delicious.
Laughing Mountain was born in June of 2015 when the Laufenbergs made a cool discovery. Their son had started shipping bags of his grandparents’ delicious caramel corn to all his friends. Beyond these college kids, they realized there was an untapped market for the family’s signature popcorn. As fate would have it, a storefront in downtown West Bend was available. They named their store Laughing Mountain (a translation of their last name) and the rest is history.
Featuring 35 in-stock flavors at any one time, Laughing Mountain also has the ability to make over 60 different flavor combinations. Some are instant hits while others, like the Gingered Jack made with Jack Daniels, are more of a complicated experiment requiring several rounds of testing and tweaking before they’re satisfied that it’s ready. I must say, however, that the “not ready” Gingered Jack batch that I tried was wonderful, so I can’t even imagine how good the finished product will taste! I also learned about some brand-new summer flavor launches including: “Unicorn” and “S’mores”. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift, the perfect office snack or just a tasty treat, Laughing Mountain certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Popcorn is not the only thing they offer, either. They also have smoothies, coffee, cocoa and cold drinks. They do gift baskets and corporate gifts that they can ship using either the US Postal Service or UPS (including APO addresses). This allows them to serve popcorn lovers everywhere. They can do small batches of gourmet flavored popcorns, for truly personalized options.
It’s not just about popcorn, though. Mark and Nancy are also trying to make West Bend a better community. They open early for the Farmer’s Market, and they stay open late during the popular “Music On Main” series every summer.
“We view our shop as a means of being a blessing to the world we serve,” Mark says.
Two of the charities that they regularly support are Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County, and the LiFE of Hope Project that aims to lower the number of suicides, through raised awareness and education.
By giving everyone who walks through their doors a great experience, Laughing Mountain does their own part for helping make West Bend that much better. The Laufenbergs realize that people in West Bend value the downtown area, which is the center of the city. They believe that as this area improves, the entirety of West Bend improves along with it.
You can follow them on Facebook at @laughingmountainpopcorn or on Instagram @laughingmountainpopcorn.
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109 N. 6th Ave, downtown West Bend next to Slesar Glass
