What's poppin? Not corn

Customers coming into the ACE Hardware store on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas are missing something. Something that was as important as the wide selection of nuts and bolts, and friendly advice. The fresh, free, popcorn is gone.

Visiting the store on January 20, most of the customers inquired about the missing popcorn. When told the reason, “You’ve got to be kidding me?” was the most popular sentiment.

According to ACE’s assistant manager Mark, an inspector from the San Diego County Health Department came into the hardware store a few weeks ago and said the establishment had to stop offering popcorn, as the store didn’t have a health permit to serve food. Mark reported that the inspector said her department received a formal complaint about it.

“We’ve always been very conscious of cleanliness [of the popcorn machine], said Mark. “We cautioned people not to reach in with their bare hands,” he added. While Mark says the inspector was cordial, almost apologetic, her concern was that the popcorn was unattended.

“We know this has happened to other small hardware stores in San Diego. We hoped it wouldn’t come to us,” said Mark.

ACE employees said they checked into what would was entailed to get a permit to offer free popcorn. “We’d have to have it like a restaurant — three sinks, food-handler cards, just to serve popcorn,” said an ACE supervisor.