Brown Bag Popcorn
Brown Bag Popcorn is one of the most distinctive food stories to come out of Detroit in years, and the kosher certification it carries through Kosher Michigan is a natural fit for a product built this carefully. Created by bestselling author and longtime Detroit sportswriter Mitch Albom as a fundraising vehicle for his SAY Detroit charity, this gourmet popcorn brand sends 100% of its profits, not 80%, not 90%, all of it, directly to SAY Detroit, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports Detroiters in need through housing programs, a free medical clinic, an after-school learning center, and other community services. For kosher-observant consumers in Michigan and across the country, Brown Bag Popcorn represents something genuinely uncommon: certified kosher gourmet food in Michigan that also happens to be doing real good in the community.
The product is handcrafted daily and air-popped from non-GMO corn, and the flavor range goes well past what most people expect from a charity-driven food brand. Savory options include J’s Sweet BBQ and Cheese Louise. Sweet varieties include Caramelicious, Double Drizzle with white and dark chocolate, and the fan favorite Mr. Mitch’s Nutty Munch with nuts, pretzels, and caramel. Seasonal and holiday flavors rotate throughout the year, including special Chanukah varieties. The entire lineup is produced under kosher supervision through Kosher Michigan, making Brown Bag Popcorn one of the more distinctive certified kosher snack options in metro Detroit, especially during the Jewish holiday season when demand for quality kosher certified food gifts in Michigan runs high.
The retail footprint behind Brown Bag Popcorn has grown steadily since launching at Detroit Water Ice Factory in downtown Detroit, which is itself a SAY Detroit nonprofit venture. A dedicated retail store opened at The Somerset Collection in Troy, and wholesale partnerships expanded the brand into Plum Market locations across metro Detroit. The corporate gifting program, called the Popcorn Pledge, allows businesses to send Brown Bag Popcorn to clients and employees with the message that the gift is simultaneously supporting Detroit’s most vulnerable residents. Michigan businesses have contributed over $170,000 in popcorn sales through the Pledge, reflecting strong community buy-in from organizations that want their purchasing to reflect their values.
Mitch Albom has spoken openly about the Jewish concept of tikkun olam driving the work he does through SAY Detroit. He has described the charity’s mission as caring about people in need across faiths, backgrounds, and zip codes. That spirit, combined with the kosher certification from Kosher Michigan, gives Brown Bag Popcorn a resonance for Jewish consumers in Michigan that goes beyond any single purchase and focuses on the Jewish value of tzedakah (charitable giving from the heart). Buying a bag or a tin supports a Detroit institution and a certified kosher Michigan food product that was made thoughtfully from non-GMO ingredients by people who care where the money goes.
Brown Bag Popcorn is available at The Somerset Collection in Troy, Detroit Water Ice Factory locations, Plum Market stores across metro Detroit, and online with shipping available nationwide. For holiday orders, Chanukah gifting, corporate Popcorn Pledge orders, or simply a bag of certified kosher gourmet popcorn from the heart of Detroit, contact the team at brownbagpopcorn.com. This is one of the most purposeful certified kosher food products made in Michigan, and a purchase that does considerably more than fill a snack bowl.