Portland's Century-Old Popcorn Shop Finds New Home at Washington Square

A Portland popcorn institution is starting fresh this week. Joe Brown's Carmel Corn opens Friday at Washington Square mall in Tigard. The shop spent 66 years at Lloyd Center before that mall shut down in August. Now the second-floor food court gets a taste of history.

The business began way back in 1932 downtown. It closed for a bit during the war years. Then Lloyd Center brought it back in 1960 as one of the first tenants. Owner David Ferguson bought the company in 2019. He grew up loving those striped boxes. Leaving the old spot was tough but he sees a bright future.

Classic flavors stay on the menu. Caramel corn, kettle corn, cheese popcorn, and the famous Oregon Style Corn all made the move. But there's new stuff too. Think cookies, banana pudding, cheesecake, and caramel apples. The Instagram tease got people hungry.

You can also find the popcorn at Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum now. That's thanks to a deal with Levy Restaurants. Ferguson hints an eastside location might come next. He's keeping details quiet until paperwork is done. The 94-year-old brand keeps growing.