More Than Just Popcorn at Rural King | 194/365 Things to Do
Instead of posting this in the comments of a Facebook thread and causing a brawl I thought I’d expound on it and use it for a 365 post for you Bonita Springs residents who look for things to do, in air conditioning in July.
Recently, I read a post about popcorn that should have just been a post about popcorn but a family member mentioned Rural King in the comments. If you aren’t familiar with Rural King it is a farm and home store. It’s got a little bit of everything for anyone. Yes there are farm supplies but you can also buy laundry soap. Don’t roll your eyes, we love the store just because it’s so different and full of things you don’t see every day.
One of my own favorite things to do there is to visit the peeps. Read also, Visit the Peeps at Rural King Bonita Springs 54/365 But I digress … One of the trademarks of Rural King is to give away popcorn in the front of the store. You know, those little paper bags like you get at a carnival or movies. So popular is this that my own grand kids call it the popcorn store. Any kid who’s been in the store knows about the popcorn. So, back to the popcorn post where someone shared a photo of their popcorn machine cart, my adult son comments ‘Rural King is not close enough for you?’ and the original poster responds, Rural King popcorn sucks except it is free.
This seems innocuous enough but if one thinks through it, like I always do, it settles in that the person who said the popcorn sucked just. did. not. get. it. Rural King is not about highly rated popcorn or even championship peep chickens or a wide variety of bird seeds. It’s not about the ammo or the fence posts, either. It’s about creating a store where people who are regular, average Americans to have something fun to do either with the 2.4 kids or not and buy the things they need in a moral environment. I know my son and his family look at this store as entertainment and fulfilling a need but it's wholesome environment, too. It’s more than just popcorn. It’s a cog in the big wheel of responsible parenting in a time where many parents are doing a questionable job of parenting. It’s a business built on faith instead of fear and shame, too.
Rural King is located in Bonita Springs at the corner of West Terry and US 41. You can also enter at the traffic light to Highland Woods.