CHICAGO — Following a flurry of Chicago-flavored collaborations, a new twist on Garrett Popcorn combines the crunchy kernels with pizza in a partnership with Home Run Inn Pizza.

Garrett’s “Chicago Pizza” popcorn uses its signature butterfly and mushroom kernel, tossed in Home Run Inn’s “Everything But the Pizza” seasoning, with notes of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano and Parmesan. The new flavor is part of Garrett’s growing retail lineup and will not be sold at its shops.

“We are two family-owned Chicago brands, we were friends and we’ve been fans of each other for quite some time, cheering each other on as we grew and evolved,” said Danelle Sarvas, Garrett Popcorn’s vice president of marketing. “It felt like the perfect time to just really explore bringing our brands together. And let’s face it, there’s nothing more Chicago than pizza and Garrett.”

Sarvas said both brands’ shared commitment to made-from-scratch recipes runs as deep as their history. Garrett has been a Chicago tradition since 1949, just two years after Home Run Inn originated as what’s considered the birthplace of Chicago’s famous tavern-style thin-crust pizza in 1947.

Sarvas said it was inevitable that the recipe development team at Garrett would eventually unveil a pizza-flavored popcorn. The ultimate goal was to make it craveable, as both pizza and popcorn are.

“We really took it very seriously,” Sarvas said, with Home Run Inn Chief Marketing Officer Gina Bolger adding: “It’s a fresh way to enjoy two classics in one bite.”

Sarvas said Garrett Popcorn is constantly creating new flavors — just last week, while she visited the brand’s off-site kitchen, she tried five new recipes that haven’t been released yet.

Bags of Garrett’s Chicago Pizza popcorn are available on shelves at select retail stores, including Jewel, Mariano’s, World Market, Binny’s, Woodman’s Markets and some independent retailers across the Midwest. Home Run Inn will also carry bags at their locations starting later this month.

Sarvas said it was a collaboration waiting to happen, especially with decidedly local flavors becoming increasingly sought after.

At Daisies, a Midwestern pasta restaurant in Logan Square, a Chicago-style croissant introduced last year featured a charred Vienna beef hot dog wrapped in a croissant. The collaboration with The Wieners Circle, a hot dog stand in Lincoln Park, was also stuffed with yellow mustard, diced onions, celery salt and bright green relish.

In July, Portillo’s and Lou Malnati’s teamed up for The Chicago Dog Deep Dish. The special pie was available only until supplies lasted for a month or so.

And the recent launch of Local Style Potato Chips, which pulls flavors from iconic Chicago foods such as deep-dish, hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, is quickly gaining traction.

“I think why these local flavors are striking such a chord is that it’s more than a snack — It’s hometown pride in a bag,” said Laura Gardner, founder of Local Style.

Gardner, a former Foxtrot executive, rolled out five flavors of chips that are all vegetarian and vegan despite boasting meaty flavors like Italian beef and hot dog.

“The potato chip aisle in the U.S. is actually kind of boring, and other countries are doing really interesting things with local flavors on potato chips,” Gardner said. “The U.S. is ready, and Chicago is ready, and Chicago has the best food in the world. So, no surprise that the trend is starting here.”

Along with Italian beef and hot dog, Local Style’s variety includes “hot giard,” classic salted and deep-dish pizza.

Sarvas, Garrett’s VP of marketing, noted that the brand’s roster of retail-only flavors is a departure from the classic popcorn tins, but makes the snack more accessible for customers who don’t have a location nearby. Most of the retail flavors (smoked barbecue, cheddar sour cream, spicy cheese corn, white cheddar) are never sold in Garrett’s shops. But the classic mix of cheddar caramel and simply salted varieties are sold both at the shop and in select retailers.

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