Alton gourmet popcorn shop reopens as PopUtopia
The Hive, a gourmet popcorn and confections shop in Alton, officially reopened under a new name last month. PopUtopia opened doors at 231 E. Delmar Road on March 11.
According to owner Rebecca Pattan, support from the Alton community kept the business afloat after the building’s owner closed the storefront in 2014. “We wanted to keep the store in Alton – this is home,” Pattan said. “We had a ton of support, text messages, phone calls, a Kickstarter – with the short attention span people have these days, that blew my mind.”
In addition to PopUtopia’s 150 flavors, the new store also features a taffy wall, nostalgia candies and bulk candies, as well as lighter, healthier popcorn flavors. Pattan said she aims to emphasize a sense of nostalgia through old-school service and fun, atomic decor.
“That’s my age, that’s what I grew up with. We want to do things the old-fashioned way with a really sincere sense of customer service,” she said. “This area needs and deserves really great specialty shops, to really create something our residents are hungry for – not necessarily popcorn, but that type of experience.”
PopUtopia is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
