Popcorn made by a Ridgefield nonprofit that creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities will be sold at the U.S. Open for the first time this year, marking the organization’s largest venue yet.
Prospector Popcorn is produced by the Prospector, the nonprofit that operates the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield. About 75% of its employees, whom the organization calls “Prospects,” self-identify as having a disability.
The 2026 U.S. Open runs Aug. 30 through Sept. 13 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. Fan Week events begin Aug. 23.
Three Prospector Popcorn flavors will be available at concession stands: classic caramel, cheddar and caramel, and spicy caramel. Several thousand bags have been ordered, and concessions have already placed a second order with a third under consideration, CEO Ryan Wenke said.
The U.S. Open deal grew out of Prospector’s relationship with Compass Group, the global food service company, and its subsidiary Restaurant Associates. Prospector took part in Compass’s retail incubator program, which helps small brands reach the company’s accounts, Wenke said.
Prospector Popcorn is now sold in more than 1,000 locations nationwide, including hotels, hospitality suites, sports venues and grocery chains such as Big Y, ShopRite and Stew Leonard’s. It was added at Dunkin’ Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, last year.
Prospector expanded its production capacity last year as popcorn sales and distribution grew. In February 2025, the organization leased a 5,000-square-foot space at Nod Hill Brewery on Ethan Allen Highway for a full-scale factory, moving production out of a 325-square-foot kitchen above the Prospector Theater.
At the time, Wenke told the Hartford Business Journal the popcorn business generated about $250,000 in annual revenue on roughly 45,000 bags a year, and he set a goal of reaching $1 million in annual popcorn sales.
The nonprofit is still working toward that target, Wenke said.
