This Sacramento caramel corn shop took on Tesla in a competition. I visited with a $25 budget
About the Writer
Brianna Taylor covers affordability on The Bee’s service journalism team.
Just off the intersection of Watt Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard sits a Sacramento-based popcorn company that uses a secret family recipe — passed down from generation to generation — to make delicious caramel corn.
Carmazzi Caramel Corn moved its machines to a storefront in Arden Arcade over the summer after operating as a home business for several years. This isn’t your regular ol’ caramel corn, and the customers that shuffled in and out of the store during my visit made that clear.
But when Sacramento Bee reader Jenna Warner asked me to visit Carmazzi as part of The Sacramento Bee’s affordability series — where I try a reader-suggested Sacramento activity once a month on a $25 budget — I was curious what all the hype was about over popcorn.
Naturally, I did some digging.
“WHAT A GEM,” one Google user wrote online.
“You won’t find better tasting caramel corn anywhere,” another person said.
But the review that sealed the deal: “I eat a lot of popcorn...a lot...This may be the best caramel corn, I’ve ever had.”
Carmazzi recently placed in the top four at the California Manufacturers & Technology Association’s “Coolest Thing Made in California” competition. Founder Karen Carmazzi of Carmazzi Caramel Corn told me her small-scale family company beat hundreds of state manufacturers, including Blue Diamond Almonds and Jelly Belly Candy Company, based on popularity votes.
Tesla won the contest.
“(The spokesperson for Tesla) came up to me afterwards and she said ‘Elon (Musk) said we had to win this contest because there is no way that a caramel corn company could beat us,’” Karen told me while bagging my popcorn.
In 2019, Carmazzi’s sugar confections took home “Best of Class” and “First Award” in the California State Fair’s home bakers and canners competition.
“People are really rooting for that underdog...it’s very humbling,” she told me.
My time at Carmazzi Caramel Corn in Sacramento
Location: 520 La Sierra Drive, Sacramento
When I walked into Carmazzi on an early afternoon in late October, I was instantly hit by a sweet aroma of butter and vanilla.
The steps between the front door and the register are few, but the merchandise scattered around the perimeter of the less than 900-square-foot space kept me occupied.
Wacky greeting cards ($3.99 to $4.49) are stocked in the corner beside branded shirts ($15 to $20), trucker hats ($25) and mason jars filled with popcorn kernels ($10). Holiday and sports-themed tins ($25 to $50) and plastic tubs ($15 to $20) of popcorn are on display, adjacent to a skeleton holding a sign that reads “free samples.”
If you’re lucky, you’ll see Karen’s son Paul Carmazzi Jr., vice president of operations, at work making “lil’ drops of sunshine.”
“Not only were people hungry for caramel corn but they were hungry for another mom-and-pop store,” he told me while making a fresh batch of caramel corn in the kitchen connected to the store.
Simply put, the popcorn is addictive.
Here’s the kicker: The corn is popped in olive oil and made without gluten, soy, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, peanuts or tree nuts. Small batches of caramel are made with real butter and vanilla.
“It’s all grandmother’s recipe, it’s nothing that I’m trying to be hip on,” Karen told me.
How I spent my $25 budget at Carmazzi Caramel Corn
After some free samples and a lot of thought, I settled on:
$6 bag of classic caramel
$7 bag of chocolate drizzle
$7 bag of vegan caramel
$5 bag of regular buttered popcorn
My total came to $25 with no tax because it’s food!
Honorable mention: The cinnamon apple-flavored caramel corn puts you in the fall spirit.
Is Carmazzzi Caramel Corn affordable?
Karen told me her caramel corn is standard price compared to others on the market, but if you’re on a tight budget, you could still walk away with something.
A bag of regular popcorn ranges from $5 to $8, depending on the size. It isn’t overpowered by salt, butter or sugar.
If you have a sweet tooth, here are your options: classic caramel, chocolate drizzle, vegan caramel and the seasonal flavor apple cinnamon. Prices range from $6 to $44, depending on the size.
Those who bring their empty tins back to the store get a $5 discount on refills and $2 off on tub refills.
Free bright yellow Carmazzi-labeled buttons are at the register next to $2 stickers sold in a set of five.
Thank you for the suggestion, Jenna! I’ll be back for more corn, Karen and Paul Jr.!
Hours: Carmazzi Caramel Corn is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The shop is closed on Sundays.
