Legacy Popcorn Shop Leaves Lloyd Center After 64 Years

Joe Brown's Carmel Corn has operated in Portland's Lloyd Center for more than six decades. The business is leaving that location to open a new storefront in Washington County this week.

The grand opening is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday, October 30. The shop will occupy a space on the second floor food court of Washington Square mall at 9585 S.W. Washington Square Road. The menu will include caramel corn, cheddar cheese popcorn, white cheddar, and kettle corn.

The company also plans to serve Oregon-style popcorn, a blend of caramel and yellow cheese varieties. Alongside the popcorn, the new location will sell cookies, banana pudding, and cheesecake. This expansion marks the first time the brand has opened a site in Washington County.

Joe Brown's Carmel Corn first opened in 1932. By the mid-1930s, the business had established three locations within Portland. World War II forced closures during the 1940s, but the brand reemerged in 1960 at the Lloyd Center. It eventually became the longest-tenured tenant at that mall in northeast Portland.

The Lloyd Center permanently closed its doors on August 8. The move to Washington Square allows the company to maintain its presence in the region. In a release, the business stated it has been creating sweet memories for generations of Portland families since 1932. The company expressed excitement about continuing that tradition in its new home.

The new site will serve both local shoppers and visitors to the mall. The relocation ends a long chapter at the Lloyd Center while beginning a new phase for the legacy brand.