Three Minutes Across the Counter with Long Island Kettle Corn

“Three Minutes Across the Counter” is a feature on Patch in which we chat with local business owners. If you would like to be featured, email adina@patch.com with the name of your business.

Today we chat with Adam Pollack, the owner of Long Island Kettle Corn, in Port Washington

Patch: How did you get your first start in business?

Adam Pollack: As a commuting college student, I spend two hours in a car, five days a week, with my girlfriend Sarah, and all throughout last semester we’d share our ideas about our classes, our activities, and when we were paying for gas, finances. You have to remember, last semester was over three months ago, and gas was $2.00 per gallon more expensive! We were having trouble covering payments for school and we decided to do something about it. We came up with the idea for our kettle popcorn business because we wanted to be accountable for our situation and do it together. Since then we’ve been to meetings at the Small Business Development Center, formed a legal entity called Long Island Kettle Corn LLC, purchased all our equipment, and booked shows throughout Long Island for over the summer. We’ve even started a fundraiser for our campaign which has received enormous support from our friends, family, and the community active within the fundraising site Indiegogo.

Patch: How did your parents influence you as a business owner?

Adam Pollack: My parents have been very supportive of me my entire life. I’ve transferred from two different colleges and invested my savings in my tuition and this business, but the only voice of concern or caution has been my mom telling me to be careful when driving with a trailer on the back of my car.

Patch: How long have you lived here?

Adam Pollack: I have lived in Port Washington my whole life.

Patch: What’s your favorite thing about living here?

Adam Pollack: I love walking from my house to Main Street. I love how business owners recognize my face and appreciate when I come back, like at Haven Diner when our waitress asks me about college, or at DiMaggio’s when our waiter says to my dad “welcome back Mr. Pollack.” There’s no other place in the world where I feel so at home.

Patch: What’s a business mistake you’ve made that later you were glad you did?

Adam Pollack: I started sending emails to organizers of events under the name Long Island Kettle Corn, and we weren’t a legal entity yet, so anyone could have had that name. When I learned I was misrepresenting myself, I moved really quickly to go through the legal process and reserve the name so I wouldn’t have to send all those emails over again!

Patch: Tell us something about yourself that most of your neighbors don’t know.

Adam Pollack: I’m selling kettle popcorn this summer at events in Long Island and you should come!

Patch: What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Adam Pollack: My best friend’s father once told me “if you ever do something for a reason other than for yourself, it’s probably not a good idea.” He told me this when I was 13 and although there are a lot of ways to interpret this, I think he was trying to tell me that he thought I was a good person with a good heart, and I had to be true to myself to be happy. I’m thankful everyday for that advice.

Patch: What advice would you give to a small business owner just starting out?

Adam Pollack: My advice is that passion is a feeling that is energizing, motivating, meaningful, and satisfying. If you don’t always feel that way when you’re working on your business, you might not be in the right line of work.

Patch: What do you look for when you hire?

Adam Pollack: I haven’t hired anyone yet, but if I do I think I’ll look for someone who was supporting our business idea since day one, loves going to community events and sharing delicious food, and loves the smell of fresh popcorn.

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