Alumni Spotlight: Phil Pagano ’74

A Taste for Nostalgia

By Jana F. Brown

When Phil Pagano ’74 talks about popcorn, he references the memories that come with its enticing aroma, the associations with Saturday nights with his family, visiting a circus or fair, or stopping on the way to vacations in New Hampshire at a roadside stand as a child to eat a freshly popped batch.

A love of popcorn and community-building led to the launch of Uncle Phil’s Organic Popcorn (www.unclephilsorganicpopcorn.com) more than two decades ago. At first, Pagano sold the snack at an event called Lights in Bloom put on by Selby Gardens, a botanical garden located in Sarasota, Florida, where Pagano lives. His presence at the annual holiday extravaganza inspired Pagano to build what he calls a “little barn on wheels,” a mobile snack wagon on which he soon became known not only for traditional popcorn varieties, but also tastebud tempters such as cinnamon maple sugar. Oh, and the “Uncle” in the business name is a nod to his large family. “I have so many nieces and nephews that I was always known as Uncle Phil,” he explains.

“For a long time, it was more of a hobby,” adds Pagano of his part-time popping operation.

It was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted a change for Pagano and Uncle Phil’s. Having served as the executive director of the Sarasota Farmers Market for 16 years — after starting as a vendor selling natural fiber rugs — and growing it to more than 500,000 visitors per year through the addition of live music and increasing the variety of products available, the pandemic halted the weekly event and signaled to Pagano that it might be time for a change of pace.

Since 2020, “retirement” has not been a time of slowing down for Pagano. As his business has grown with the help of his wife, Heidi, and daughter, Lauren, Pagano has spent the better part of the last two summers on the road. Along with Lauren, they haul the popcorn wagon to events primarily up and down the East Coast and as far west as Las Vegas. The stops include festivals such as Borderland in Buffalo, Beach Road in Martha’s Vineyard, and Reggae Rise Up in St. Petersburg. Uncle Phil’s also sets up shop on movie nights at a mall in Sarasota, where they sell hot chocolate to pair with the popcorn. 

A thriving business is not surprising for Pagano, who worked in the flooring business for many years, owning and operating small retail stores and selling the natural fiber rugs at the Sarasota Market. For a time, he and his wife ran a general store in Sarasota. A native New Englander, Pagano grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts, and attended Berwick for a postgraduate year, living on campus as a boarding student. At Berwick, he discovered a wonderful sense of camaraderie that laid a foundation for his community-building spirit throughout his life.

Uncle Phil's grew out of Pagano’s taste for small-batch healthy snacks and his desire to share them with others. What sets the company’s popcorn apart is its fresh non-GMO, ingredients: organic kernels popped in coconut oil and coated in sea salt and other natural flavorings, including maple sugar sourced from a friend’s farm in Vermont — and a fierce commitment to those ingredients. 

“The smell is really attractive, and I think everybody has a popcorn story,” Pagano says. “I’ll ask people if they’ve had maple sugar popcorn, and once they try it, they realize it’s sort of like a gourmet treat. I call it the lobster of popcorn.”

A hands-on business owner, Pagano also pops the popcorn on-site at events, rather than pre-popping in a factory, a practice that allows Uncle Phil’s to maintain quality and freshness compared to pre-packaged popcorn. As a result, the product is healthier than many of its competitors, and that’s important to Pagano and his family. “We do it as right as we can,” he says.

In addition to his career pursuits, Pagano has been an active community participant. During his time as director of the Sarasota Farmers Market, he advocated for the preservation of a local fountain and helped develop the Legacy Trail, a popular route for cyclists. He also was devoted to supporting local nonprofits and small community organizations, and tried to assist, accommodate, and include the homeless in projects and events whenever possible.

“I think I was just raised that what’s right is right,” Pagano explains. “When you get to be my age, it’s nice to look back and see that you’ve made a difference in some way.”

While Pagano is starting to look back on his life and career, he’s also focused on eventually transitioning his popcorn business to the next generation, while continuing to build the Uncle Phil’s brand. Heidi has recently introduced organic cotton candy sourced from Hawaii to the Uncle Phil’s brand, while the Paganos also sell frozen strawberry lemonade from the barn on wheels. 

As for the popcorn, at times, Pagano says, Uncle Phil’s can go through two 50-pound bags of popcorn a day, especially at the larger festivals, which see upwards of 20,000 visitors. Not bad for a nostalgia-based business that Pagano once thought of as a hobby.