Former owner of Englewood Cinema opens popcorn shop with screening area in Huber Heights

Cinematic Treats, a popcorn shop featuring five to eight rotating flavors each week, is located at 7111 Taylorsville Road in Huber Heights. All popcorn is buy three, get one free.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

It all started with a love for movies

Sowers has been in the theater exhibition for about 12 years, but he has had a love for movies since he was a kid.

“I still follow box office numbers and I’m a big fan of theaters,” Sowers said. “Theaters are in decline — I’ve been saying that for the past five years. Theaters only have about 10 years. I think there’s going to be one theater in every metropolitan city.”

When he owned the Englewood Cinema, he found “a secret recipe for just regular classic popcorn” and has since dubbed it, “the best buttered popcorn in Ohio.”

“Everybody in Dayton was flocking to it saying that it was the best popcorn they’ve ever had,” Sowers said. “My thought was make the popcorn, make it fresh, make it with love, make it with care, offer a variety and give it that hometown feel. Everybody that watches things at home can come here and get it.”

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

‘The best buttered popcorn in Ohio’

Cinematic Treats described its popcorn as being “fluffier” with “less kernels.”

“It’s more buttery — even before butter,“ Sowers said. ”It’s more oily. The salt is perfect — not too much, not too little."

When asked what the secret was, he said, “We just put a little more love into it. I don’t want to give it away. It could be easily replicated.”

Bags of popcorn come in the following sizes:

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Those planning to get a weekend bag with flavored popcorn are encouraged to message the popcorn shop ahead of time on social media. If not, it will take about 10 minutes to make.

Favorite flavors so far have been the apple crisp, caramel and cheddar.

Plans for the future

“We’re going to start theming popcorn,” Sowers said.

Starting the first week of November, Cinematic Treats will have a “Stranger Things” flavored popcorn. Right before the first four episodes of season five are released on Nov. 26, the popcorn shop will do a give away.

They hope to do this every month with either a new show or movie coming out at home or in theaters.

They also plan to add third-party delivery service in the future.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

If all goes well in the next year, Cinematic Treats hopes to expand. With the expansion, they plan to buy two large popcorn machines to speed up production.

Sowers favorite part of owning the popcorn shop so far has been the excitement the community has had.

“It offers an experience for families to bring in their kids,” Sowers said. “Our kids go to Huber, so we just wanted to invest ourselves into the community, into Huber and make our mark on it...”

MORE DETAILS

Cinematic Treats is open 5:30-8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 2-10 p.m. Saturday. Customers can choose a bag from the shelves or get a bag freshly popped.

All popcorn is gluten- and dairy-free. The butter used on the popcorn is not real butter. It’s an artificial flavored topping that is optional.

Cinematic Treats has a 140-inch screen with 12 seats (four more seats are coming soon) that can be rented for birthday parties.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

When this space isn’t being rented, customers can come in and watch whatever they would like.

Natalie Jones writes about food and dining in Southwest Ohio with an emphasis on the Dayton region. She may be reached at natalie.jones@coxinc.com.

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