BEATRICE - In the many years a business is open, few get remembered as milestones. However, one that always is remembered, is the first one. 

Happy Kernel in Beatrice has been providing the community with a wide range of kettle corn and pork rind products for one year this month. Brenda Griess, her son Anthony, and husband Bob Leaper have stayed busy recently, with graduation orders and summer gifts. Brenda and Bob talked about some of the challenges they've faced in year one. 

“The price of things have gone up a lot,” Brenda said. “That’s impacted the bottom line a lot. Also the events and the travel time.”

“Mainly peoples flavors and taste and special orders,” Leaper said. “People want to try new and different things and we did, and it worked out well.”

In this day and age, start up for small businesses can be difficult and some don’t always see year two — Happy Kernel did. Griess talked about what it took to make it through year one successfully.

“Lot of hours,” Griess said. “A lot of determination and a lot of hours. Sometimes we get in at eight or nine in the morning and we’re here until five or six at night… Sometimes we’re working seven days a week, we are closed on Sunday and Monday, but if there’s an event or we just need to cook, we’re here.”

With year one in the books, Happy Kernel is now focusing in on plans for the future. 

“We’re trying to expand... We are looking for bars and stores that are interested in carrying our product,” Griess said. “We’re picking up new flea markets and swap meets, so we’re getting it out there.”