Doc Popcorn, the maker of kettle-cooked popcorn and other popcorn treats, has awarded a multi-unit franchise opportunity to local husband and wife, Sam and Mary Sanchez, and their son, Eugene, to develop three Doc Popcorn locations in the Los Angeles area. They recently opened their first location at the Stonewood Center shopping mall in Downey and are currently looking into sites for their next location.
Sam, 65, and Mary, 63, came to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1976 with nothing more than their educations, dreams of a better life, and $500 in their pockets. They worked very hard in the fields of real estate and accounting respectively, building a wonderful life for themselves and their two children, Marie Sam and Eugene, and their grandchildren Cheyenne and Brooklyn, in California. Then, unexpectedly, Mary was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2011 and had to take some time off work. After entering remission and returning to the workforce, Mary learned her employer was relocating to another state and was forced to retire. Friends encouraged Mary and Sam to settle down, relax and retire, but they weren’t ready for that stage just yet.
“We both felt there was more in life that we wanted to accomplish before retiring and I wasn’t going to allow my illness to paralyze me or my family,” says Mary. “For many years, my husband and I contemplated having a business of our own. After doing some research, we were convinced that Doc Popcorn was the best choice. It is fun and easy to operate; we love the product and enjoy going to work every day working alongside our son. We are grateful for all our blessings and everything is possible with God’s help.”
“Mary and her family are an inspiration to us all,” says Rob Israel, co-founder of Doc Popcorn. “We are truly honored to have this amazing, hard-working family join our franchise system and give them the tools and support they need to own and operate their own Doc Popcorn business.”
In addition to the Sanchez’s unit in Downey, Doc Popcorn has five other franchise units in California in West Covina, Ontario, Sacramento, Lakewood, and San Francisco. The recent Los Angeles agreement is part of the 90-unit brand’s growth strategy to open additional locations throughout the U.S. and overseas in 2014.
