Visiting The New Emma’s Popcorn | Lancaster County (17 Photos)
You might recall our visit to Emma’s Gourmet Popcorn back in 2022. At the time I was told they’d be moving to a new location. And Emma’s has in fact gone big, opening up in a new building closer to the heart of the community. This is the original video, from the previous, smaller location, if you missed it:
Comparing that to what you’ll see in this post, you can see how much the business has expanded (at least on the retail side). So let’s take a look inside and check out some classic, and more exotic, popcorn flavors – and see what else they have to offer.
Before we dive into the popcorn, I should mention Emma’s is taking advantage of the extra space, and now offers ready foods and a cafe area. We intentionally came in the morning to try the breakfast crepes. Egg, cheese, and your choice of bacon or sausage. Looking at this photo I just realized they call it the “Crepe Shack”.
Great name to bring the fancy crepe back down to earth a bit. This is no Michelin-rated French bistro – ’tis but a humble Crepe Shack. There were some other jokes going around our circles (pronunciation-based) but I’ll spare you those. Suffice to say, the crepes were quite tasty and worth a stop in on their own merit.
A large selection of popcorn flavors takes up one wall. But this is just a fraction of it.
Last time, I learned that Emma’s had around 60 flavors of popcorn. I wouldn’t be surprised if that tally has expanded. For example, I don’t think I’d seen this Asiago Rosemary before. It was a hit.
Sampling area. You can try a number of flavors. You can’t see it in this photo, but one flavor that caught my eye: Cheesy Crab.
Cinnamon Bun.
And a prominent barrel full of Amish Peanut Butter Schmeir. This flavor is styled after Amish church peanut butter.
So chances are, if there’s a flavor you’re after, Emma’s may very well have it. There were also seasonal flavors, like Gingerbread.
But if you’re not much for the exotic flavors, you can still get classic salted (well, Sea Salted), Buttered, and cheese varieties. There are also popcorn snack mixes, like this football-themed one.
They even have the Ultimate Popcorn Snack. What makes it ultimate? I’m not exactly sure, but it looks pretty loaded.
Lots of pretzels as well as mixed nuts. We got some excellent Cinnamon Pecans.
A closer look at some sample prices. The cheapest I saw was the Sea Salt, at just $1.50 for a small bag.
The place also sells a variety of home furnishings. This sign made me chuckle.
Emma’s sells their popcorn retail in-store and online, and also wholesale to other outlets. The day we stopped in, we visited the back of the house, where the popcorn gets made, and shipped out. That was an experience itself, but I didn’t get any photos from back there. One order was waiting to go out to a wholesale customer in Iowa. A lot of it is sent within the Lancaster County area. You’ll see Emma’s stuff for sale around the community.
Visit Emma’s Gourmet Popcorn
Emma’s is a great example of a generational Amish business that has succeeded at a high level, and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. And Emma’s new store is a lot of fun to visit.
It’s in a large new barn-style building, right on Highway 340 (the main road that passes through Intercourse and Bird-in-Hand, aka Old Philadelphia Pike). Next door you have the Lapp Valley Farm Creamery & Cafe.
Here’s the address:
Emma’s Gourmet Popcorn
4038 Old Philadelphia Pike
Gordonville, PA 17557
Emma’s is closed on Sunday like any Amish business, otherwise open from 8 AM to 5 PM, except Fridays, where they stay open until 6 PM. Of course, confirm these hours before you travel out of your way, as things may have changed since publication.
Emma's Popcorn in Iowa
Emma’s popcorn looks delicious. So many different flavors! I’d like to know where that wholesale order was going to in Iowa. It would be fun to check it out. Thanks for the fun post.
Amish puppy mills
These are real. No mention?
Popcorn and puppy mills?
Uh, what does popcorn have to do with puppy mills? Why would you expect that to be mentioned in this article?
Definitely intend to visit!
Next time we are in Intercourse with our motorhome, this will be a must see and taste! Thanks, Erik.
Loses Something
I’m hundreds of miles away, so I know I will not be visiting Emma’s, but there’s nothing there to attract me even though I love popcorn. I guess the large size, the professional-looking labels and signs, the electric lights and cash register take away the quaintness and simple life I always associate with the Amish. This looks just like a normal tourist attraction with nothing special to offer. We have several “gourmet” popcorn shops not far from here (none of them Amish) , each boasting a variety of flavors, and not really all that different from Emma’s. We visit about 15 Amish farms each fall and enjoy experiencing the simple culture, appreciate the hard work, love purchasing a variety of crafts and canned goods and fresh vegetables, and have made some good Amish friends. I guess I prefer more of the “down-home” feel than a commercial feel. It’s the same feeling I get when I see a store at a shopping center advertising “Amish-made furniture.” I’d rather go to the Amish farm and get to know the people who are behind such fine craftsmanship.
Emma's
I like the looks of the place! So clean and modern but country. I hope they have great success! Erik dyk if the popcorn is from corn they grow?
I feel similar to what Jim said
Sadly, this place loses that ‘Amish’ feel.
It’s a modern, large, generic, mass produced store. The building is designed for tourists and the increased population/development in the area.
In fact, I know a few non-Amish businesses that have built the same type of building and sell similar products. They are not Amish and it looks and feels the exact same when visiting. The only difference is the clothing the employees wear. Kapp and dress vs jeans and shirts.
It’s another symbol of how the area in Lancaster continues to change along with many of the Amish.
I don’t see anything modest about this business with it’s giant store sign to draw in customers and the building’s sq footage. This is a growing business looking to make as much money as possible. In doing so, makes it more difficult for their Amish neighbors to start up their on popcorn/food businesses while taking advantage of the overdevelopment of the area. And deeply concerning, change the culture, fabric, and community feel of the area.
Things may look nice. But I’ve seen this story before in other areas. As some businesses grow, more smaller businesses struggle to survive. An example that non-Amish may understand, the big Home Depot and Lowe’s destroyed the small mom and pop local hardware stores. Large fast food chains that moved in, made it difficult for the small mom and pop restaurants and diners to continue.
It becomes a tourist trap just like some other businesses in the area(some, not all). Some, even say ‘family owned’ and point out their Christian beliefs as part of their draw. The point is, the modesty is gone as they want to herd as many customers in as they can. Large businesses lose that ‘substance’ and ‘value’ feel while that ‘cheaper’ feel starts creeping in.
I’m concerned how this area will look in another generation or two.
I’m of the same opinion
Through the years my family have been to Lancaster Pennsylvania so many times. Our tradition for Thanksgiving. The landscape is not the same. Commercial commercial so sad!!