It was June of 2021 when Lindsey Keith and her family became owners of Bridgeport Dairy Queen on West Main Street. Now, Keith is giving lovers of sweet treats another option. In the portion of the building previously used as the event room, she is opening Crunch Time featuring gourmet apples, popcorn and candied nuts. It is an entirely different business from the DQ, but one Keith has previously dabbled in.

“I had an in-home bakery a couple of years ago and a food truck. I’d take a trailer to festivals and other events, selling candied and gourmet apples and baked goods including cupcakes,” she said. “I always sold out and it was always popular.”

Keith decided to revamp that business to not only fill the space in the building which has been underused, but also to offer locals something different.

She decided the bakery was too time-consuming, so she concentrated on the apples, expanding flavors and creations. After consulting with Gold Medal Products Co. in Pittsburgh, Keith added popcorn and candied nuts to her offerings.

“I spent a couple of days at their factory in Pittsburgh working with them and learning how to make popcorn and nuts,” she said.

Available at Crunch Time will be six to eight different popcorn flavors and eight to 10 different apple creations, as well as cashews and candied peanuts and pecans. She will rotate flavors on a daily or weekly basis. Those she will make will include caramel apples with nuts, candied apples, and those featuring M&Ms, Heath Bar, S’mores, Reese Cup with peanut butter drizzle, Butterfinger, sprinkles and more. Customers will purchase by the apple.

Popcorn varieties available all the time will be caramel, cheddar and butter. Rotating flavors will include caramel apple sucker, buffalo, birthday cake, chocolate drizzle with peanut butter, salt & vinegar, strawberry cheesecake, blueberry, Oreo with gummies and more.

“There will be three different sizes of popcorn to purchase: small, medium and large,” Keith said. “You can also purchase it by the tin and popcorn and nuts can both be purchased in waffle cones.”

Tins will feature various seasons, as well as Happy Birthday and Thank You themes.

Keith, who continues to run the Dairy Queen, is excited about her new venture.

“It’s fun and I enjoy doing it. It’s a lot of work, but it hasn’t been hard work. It’s really enjoyable and we don’t have anything like this in downtown Bridgeport,” she said. “The feedback so far has been really positive, so I’m hoping it goes well.”

Renovation work is ongoing at the store.

“We’ve painted and wallpapered and added a big apple case and two popcorn crispers to hold the popcorn and keep it warm,” Keith said. “There are no interior walls. We left it all open so people can come in and see us making the popcorn and apples. They can watch that process, including the popcorn spinning in the tumbler, and they can smell it.”

The projected opening date is Oct. 16.