JonnyPops Wins Ole Cup and Advances to Semi-finalist Round of the Minnesota Cup!

Congratulations to JonnyPops for winning the 1st Annual Ole Cup and advancing to the semi-finalist round of the Minnesota Cup!

The Minnesota Cup recently asked JonnyPops some questions to better understand what JonnyPops is all about.

Who are you?
JonnyPops was started by four St. Olaf students during our sophomore year on the hill. All four of us were interested in business and entrepreneurship with several of us having started entrepreneurial ventures before college. The JonnyPops idea was brought to us by Erik Brust and after a year of development we made our first sale on April 2nd of 2012. Since then JonnyPops have been available around the region, including at locations like the Minnesota Zoo and Holiday Convenience Stores. This summer for the first time you can find us on shelves at local grocers Lund's, Byerly's, and Kowalski's. We could not be more excited about what the future holds.

What is your product?
JonnyPops are a delicious combination of All Natural Fruit & Cream (or Coca & Cream for our Choco-Latte pop) the redefine what a frozen treat should be. They are free of artificial flavorings, preservatives, dyes, and fillers as well as being sweetened with nothing but real cane sugar. All of our products feature a uniquely smoothie like texture and a taste that is fresher than anything on the market. We believe in making a Better Pop for a Better World, and know that making the highest integrity products that we can in the first step.

How did you come up with the idea for your product?
Erik and his cousin Jonathan ("Jonny") brainstormed the idea for an all natural frozen treat while Erik was visiting Jonathan at Duke university. Tragically Jonathan passed away before the business could come to fruition, so Erik waited and brought the idea to his friends during their sophomore year at St. Olaf. We decided to pursue the product and name the brand in honor of "Jonny". Additionally we donate a portion of each pop sold to the Hazelden foundation in his name.

What are you most excited about for the Minnesota Cup?
The Minnesota cup presents a phenomenal opportunity, especially with the new food division,to network with the local community of industry innovators as well as experienced professionals with important expertise. Additionally, the platform to share our story with an even broader audience is extremely exciting. We cannot wait to see what kind of feedback we will get.