Today we’d like to introduce you to Yanhui Chen.
Hi Yanhui, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started 757 POP as a side hustle while I was transitioning out of the military. I was going a tough time and was burnout at work. I learned a lot during my time in the military, but it was a stressful environment for me. I knew that wasn’t the lifestyle I want. I wanted to build something of my own, something that I enjoy doing and gives me a sense of purpose outside of my uniform.
One day I came across the Virginia Cottage Food low, which allows you to sell low-risk homemade food to local consumers. So I thought what if I start a food business and sell them at the local markets. Because I like to shop at the local markets and discover unique local vendors. I thought it would be fun to become a market vendor myself. I decided to start with making popcorn because it has a low startup cost, and we don’t have many popcorn vendors at our local markets.
The first year, I was selling popcorn from a tent setup. I would prepackaged the popcorn then bring them to the market the next day. I learned a lot at my first year of running a business. The second year I decided to get a food truck so I could make popcorn at the events. The popping sounds and the smells make people want to try our popcorn.
2026 is the third year for 757 POP. I met new friends and connected with other local vendors. Running a food truck is not easy, but I feel more fulfilled about building something of my own. More importantly, I feel a stronger sense of belonging to this community.
I’m still learning new things every day, but that’s one thing I’ve realized that you don’t need to have everything ready to start something. You just need to do it, learn from it, and good things will happen to you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No. I don’t have any business experience, don’t know how to start a business, never work at a food industry before. Everything is new to me and I need to find the answers myself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
757 POP is a mobile popcorn truck in Hampton Road area in Virginia. We make popcorn during the pop-up events and local farmers markets. People like to watch me popping popcorn on site and the smell of the popcorn make them want to try it.
Popcorn is a fun food, so I want to make 757 POP more fun. My boyfriend Julian helps me to operate my business. We often make some funny videos and share them on social media. A lot customers tell me that they saw my video and they are so funny.
I want to be creative on the popcorn flavors. So I will make some special flavors upon the event themes and the seasons. For example, we made a Cherry Berry popcorn for the Cherry Blossom Festival, Ube popcorn for the Pilipino Festival, and for this fall season, I’m going to make Pumpkin Spice flavor.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I started the business without any work experience on food industry. I got my first popcorn machine from Facebook marketplace and learn to make flavor popcorn. I’m still learning something new everyday. I want to let people know that you don’t need to have everything ready to start building something.
Pricing:
- Popcorn $7/bag (each bag holds 11-12 cups popped popcorn)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.757pop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/757popva/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/757pop/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanhui-chen
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@757popva
