We Met in Dubai… and Somehow Ended Up Creating Spicy Dill Pickle Protein Popcorn
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Some business partnerships happen in boardrooms.
Ours started halfway across the world.
A couple years ago, I met Taufeek Shah, founder of Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce, in Dubai during an international food and beverage trade event. Two Midwest guys from Iowa and Nebraska randomly meeting in the Middle East wasn’t exactly on either of our bingo cards, but we hit it off immediately.
At the time, Omaha Protein Popcorn was already expanding internationally through nutrition and retail partnerships, and Lola’s was rapidly growing into one of the most recognizable hot sauce brands in America.
What we didn’t know at the time was that meeting would eventually lead to one of the most talked-about products at the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Las Vegas.
And honestly… none of this was planned.
From Midwest Roots to Global Shelves
One of the things Taufeek and I connected on immediately was how similar our stories actually were.
Lola’s started as a family recipe inspired by fresh farm ingredients in small-town Iowa. What began as farmers market samples eventually exploded into a nationally recognized hot sauce brand now found in more than 20,000 stores across North America.
Omaha Protein Popcorn started in a very similar way.
Small batches. Constant testing. A kitchen full of hungry kids eating every sample before we could even evaluate it properly.
What started as a niche high-protein snack idea eventually grew into a rapidly expanding better-for-you snack brand now sold in more than 10,000 retail locations across the United States and Canada, with continued expansion into Walmart Canada, select 7-Eleven stores, and international markets.
The crazy part is that both brands grew because we focused on the exact same thing:
Making products people actually want to eat.
Not products that feel like punishment.
The Idea That Changed Everything
Fast forward to this year.
My daughters and my son’s baseball team were suddenly obsessed with spicy dill pickle flavored snacks. Chips. Sunflower seeds. Everything.
At the same time, spicy dill pickle was exploding as one of the hottest flavor trends in the snack industry.
So I texted Taufeek.
“What if we made spicy dill pickle popcorn… with real heat?”
At first, it sounded slightly ridiculous.
Then we tried it.
And everything changed.
The combination of Lola’s signature flavor profile and our high-protein popcorn platform somehow worked even better than we expected. Tangy dill pickle flavor. Real spice. Crunch. And up to 40 grams of protein per bag.
The first samples disappeared almost immediately.
Our staff crushed entire cases.
Our kids ate every bag we brought home.
And when we started showing samples internationally, the reaction got even crazier.
Canada placed large orders almost immediately. Buyers in Central America loved it. International retailers kept asking what other flavors were coming next.
That’s when we realized we had something much bigger than a novelty flavor.
A Massive Moment at Sweets & Snacks
Then came the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Las Vegas.
If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s one of the largest snack and confectionery trade shows in North America and one of the biggest opportunities for emerging snack brands to get in front of retailers, distributors, and buyers from around the world.
We entered our Lola’s collaboration into the Most Innovative New Product competition.
Out of more than 800 products entered into the show, Omaha Protein Popcorn x Lola’s Spicy Dill Pickle was named a Top 5 Finalist in the Novelty/Licensed category.
The reaction at the show honestly exceeded anything we expected.
We were visited by hundreds of buyers and distributors over the course of the expo, and the booth traffic around the product barely slowed down.
At one point, Taufeek texted me and said:
“We have never been tagged on social media so many times in one week.”
That’s when it really hit us.
This wasn’t just another flavor launch.
People were genuinely excited about it.
Why This Product Resonated
I think the reason this collaboration connected with people is because it hits a rare intersection in the snack world.
Most high-protein snacks still taste like “protein snacks.”
Bars that taste dry. Shakes that taste chalky. Products people force themselves to eat because they’re trying to hit macros.
We’ve always wanted to build something different.
A snack that tastes like the stuff you actually crave… while still delivering serious nutrition.
That’s why Omaha Protein Popcorn exists in the first place.
The Lola’s collaboration pushed that idea even further.
It tastes like a snack you’d grab at a convenience store or ballgame… except it’s gluten-free, contains no high fructose corn syrup, and delivers up to 40 grams of protein per bag.
That’s why it resonated with:
- Retail buyers
- Fitness consumers
- Families
- Convenience stores
- International distributors
And honestly, probably why people kept coming back to our booth for more samples.
What Happens Next
The response from Sweets & Snacks accelerated a lot of conversations already happening behind the scenes.
We’re continuing expansion discussions tied to Walmart Canada, select 7-Eleven locations in Las Vegas and Henderson, and additional international markets throughout Central America and Asia.
At the same time, this collaboration opened the door for future flavor innovation between Omaha Protein Popcorn and Lola’s.
And yes… there are already more flavors being discussed.
For now though, we’re just excited people finally get to try this one.
If you want to see how this collaboration actually came together, including the full founder conversation between me and Taufeek, you can watch the full interview and explore the launch here:
https://www.omahaproteinpopcorn.com/pages/lolas-collab-spicy-dill-pickle
Trust me.
This is not normal popcorn.
Tim Rexius
Founder