How My Secret Obsession Completely Changed My Moviegoing Experience 🍿

I have a (not-so) secret obsession.

In a sentence that has probably never been written in human history, I am absolutely obsessed with popcorn seasoning. And not just any popcorn seasoning… the Kernel Season’s popcorn seasoning (specifically the White Cheddar Flavor). 

Now you might at this point be thinking: am I on the right page? Things may be a bit free-spirited around here, but what does this really have to do with cinemas? I promise we’ll get there. 

I’ve always been a creature of habit and growing up I always went to the same movie theater. I would go fairly regularly and it was something I always looked forward to. One day, one simple discovery changed my life: Kernel Season’s popcorn seasoning.

My local cinema had installed giant plastic shakers of Kernel Season’s popcorn seasoning–from the Ranch Flavor to the Nacho Cheddar Flavor to my personal favorite, the White Cheddar Flavor. I was hooked immediately. From then on, whenever I went to the movie theater I just HAD to get popcorn, just so I could douse it in an ambiguously-flavored, vaguely cheese-like powder.

It quickly became part of my moviegoing ritual – until one day, I showed up and my face fell: where did it go? WHERE DID THE KERNEL SEASON’S SEASONING GO??

The popcorn seasoning was gone without a trace and I was distraught to say the least. One might even say I went through the full 12 stages of grief. At first I was in denial, believing they would make a comeback, but as weeks turned into months and eventually months turned into years… I gave up hope.

Years went by and I eventually moved far away from that particular cinema, nearly forgetting all about the popcorn seasoning. That is, until one day I was walking through the grocery store aisles and came upon a small bottle of seasoning with a familiar popcorn kernel mascot. It immediately brought me back to my years of going to the cinema for that very same seasoning – something that once was such a compelling part of my life. Obviously, I had to buy it. 

To make an increasingly long story a bit shorter, I eventually started carrying bottles of this popcorn seasoning with me to the movies. It was actually a large part of what convinced me to start buying popcorn at the cinema again, something I had been doing less + less of over the years. 

Recently, I moved back to the East Coast and started visiting my childhood cinema. On a more recent trip, I walked in and it was like I had seen a ghost. I couldn’t believe my eyes – the popcorn seasoning was back!

In a flurry of excitement, I texted just about everyone I knew, whether or not they even lived in the same state as this particular cinema anymore. Since discovering the popcorn seasoning’s return, I can firmly say that I have once again become a popcorn-at-the-movies enthusiast.

The famed popcorn seasoning display

Me enjoying my white cheddar-seasoned popcorn on my most recent trip to the movies

So why am I telling you this ridiculous story about popcorn seasoning?

For years, I thought the popcorn seasoning had just gone away for good and I didn’t feel like there was anything I could do about it. So, I eventually just stopped buying popcorn. But there were times when I wished I had known how to bring it up to the cinema. I even went as far as contacting the popcorn seasoning company just to say how much I loved their product and how I was first exposed to it at a cinema as if that would somehow bring it back (I got no response). 

Looking back, a more publicized and intuitive way to connect with the cinema itself could have made all the difference in this scenario. I was willing to evangelize the popcorn seasoning on my own within my own circle, so imagine if the cinema is able to harness the enthusiasm of moviegoers in that way. Cinemas can open dialogue with customers through simple methods like IG DMs, quarterly surveys, or even a physical suggestion box in the lobby. 

Above all, I think this story speaks to the power of making something your own at your cinema, no matter how small it is. By creating something that can become synonymous with your cinema brand – allowing for just a bit more personalization – you can stand out from competitors that may not have the freedom to make such choices. Consider how you can make something small your own, and you’ll be surprised when you get your very own Kernel Season’s popcorn seasoning fanatics. 

This post is not sponsored, I just truly love this one specific popcorn seasoning.

Written By: Faith Banach

Faith Banach is the Marketing Coordinator at Onni Creative. She is passionate about building community by connecting people through what they love most. Aside from being an avid moviegoer, she’s an enthusiastic hiker, seasoned road tripper, and lover of all sorts of live performances!

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