What's Poppin'?: Ignacio Evangelista, Owner of 671 Kettle Korn

Ignacio F. Evangelista is the owner of the local kettle corn stand, 671 Kettle Korn.

Evangelista began ownership of the business back in December of 2017. His aunt entrusted him with the business after a few years of helping her operate the stand.

“The previous owner who introduced this first ever business to the island of Guam, I believe in 2002, was my uncle Mr. Frank Mateo. Mr Mateo passed away in 2015. The business was closed for a few months until my aunt decided to bring the business back up and operate to continue [his] legacy.”

Ignacio Evangelista disinfects his counter shortly after opening on a Thursday morning. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista and one of his employees prepare to make a fresh batch of kettle corn. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista prepares some popcorn kernels to be added to their industrial popcorn machine. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista at his stand at the Guam Museum. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista adds oil to begin the kettle corn making process. Photo by Skyler Obispo
New precautions are in place due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista's industrial popcorn machine. Photo by Skyler Obispo
A look inside the kettle corn cooking process. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista and his employee beginning spreading out the cooked kettle corn for flavoring. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Kettle corn is being mixed in order to begin the flavoring process. Skyler Obispo
671 Kettle Korn employee adds seasoning for a batch of sweet and salty kettle corn. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista and his employee begin the packaging process for their kettle corn. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Evangelista packaging sweet and salty kettle corn. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Putting the final touches. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Posing with the final product. Photo by Skyler Obispo

COVID-19 put a strain on Evangelista’s business. One of the major setbacks for Evangelista is finding funds to pay his part-time employees.

The stand would normally be set up at festivals and events such as the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market, but restrictions from Pandemic Condition of Readiness One and lack of tourism slowed down business. Despite these setbacks, Evangelista believes that operating under PCOR-1 is a step forward for his business which he can gain experience from.

According to Evangelista, he is optimistic for the future of his venture and aims to continue to provide the best possible service during the pandemic.