King of Pops Upgrading to Larger Ponce City Market Space in Early-2021

Newer, more prominent space will offer 'Poptails,' soft-serve ice cream, and Prince of Pops, a new smaller ice pop with no added sugar.

King of Pops, the Atlanta-born frozen treat company founded in 2010, is moving on up in Ponce City Market. The popsicle maker will relocate to a larger, more prominent space in the development’s Central Food Hall in a move that King of Pops Co-Founder and CEO Steven Carse describes as “next level”. The opening is expected by the first quarter of 2021, according to Carse.

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The new, indoor space will offer soft-serve ice cream, slushies, and Prince of Pops, a new smaller ice pop with no added sugar. The soft-serve ice cream includes non-dairy-based options. There will also be “Poptails” on draft, which are cocktails with pops served inside of them.

Since around April or May of this year, the original, indoor location of King of Pops has been closed, though the outdoor area, known as the Beach Bar, has remained open and will continue to remain open while the new location is set up. The Beach Bar offers a wide variety of slushies with fresh fruit, inspired by the pop flavors. 

When King of Pops began in 2010, it started as a single pushcart on a street corner about a half a mile up the street from Ponce City Market, at North Avenue and North Highland. Now, the business has a farm 30 miles west of the city where they grow some of their own ingredients. There is also a distribution company where they distribute all of their King of Pops products to local stores. The company has since expanded their products to South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. 

King of Pops also started a partnership program this year, called Neighborhood Partner Program, though Carse couldn’t disclose what new locations are currently in the works.

Update: This article previously described the Neighborhood Partner Program as a franchise program. It is instead a partnership program.

Michelle Goldchain

Michelle Goldchain

Michelle Goldchain is a D.C.-born content creator who previously worked as the Editor of Curbed DC at Vox Media for three and a half years. She has contributed to several local publications, including Vox, Education Week, Washington Business Journal, Eater DC, Washington City Paper, DCist, Washingtonian, and Greater Greater Washington. She also has a background in photography, social media management, and the visual arts. Her main side hustle is a surreal comedy show on YouTube, called Artsplained, that focuses on increasing interest and knowledge in the arts through quirky sketches and long-form essays.
Michelle Goldchain

Michelle Goldchain

Michelle Goldchain is a D.C.-born content creator who previously worked as the Editor of Curbed DC at Vox Media for three and a half years. She has contributed to several local publications, including Vox, Education Week, Washington Business Journal, Eater DC, Washington City Paper, DCist, Washingtonian, and Greater Greater Washington. She also has a background in photography, social media management, and the visual arts. Her main side hustle is a surreal comedy show on YouTube, called Artsplained, that focuses on increasing interest and knowledge in the arts through quirky sketches and long-form essays.

3 Responses

    1. Sure the hell is!!!
      And he was in the corporate world until the Great Recession made him reevaluate.
      I remember seeing him up at Buddy’s gas station slingin’ his pops.
      Another economic downturn, and he’s forging ahead, and expanding.

      1. I went to school with one of the co-founders. Awesome guy, but I’d be lying if I said I believed his popsicle stand was going to turn into an empire. I thought he was nuts.

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