This story wouldn’t normally fit my range of interest but it hits some of my favorite topics. 1. Niche switches. 2. The exceptional survival of family-run companies. 3. When an industry fades, its supply chains also fade, making revival impossible.
John Carpenter, producer of many horror movies, recognized that movies are no longer mass media. Instead of trying to produce another big movie while the supply chain is dissolving, he pulled a niche switch to buttress the supply chain.
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Horror people like to eat. Horror people enjoy life. They’re not what other people think we are; I think that there’s a great deal of joy and gentleness in the horror community, and they like to share, and they’re kind to each other. It’s a natural progression to say, ‘I found something cool: Have a candy bar.’
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Snacks are a big part of the theater experience. Now that theaters are a high-status specialty, snacks need to upscale and specialize as well. Carpenter commissioned Asher’s Chocolate, a long-time family candy company in Philly, to make the Boo Bar and Dark & Stormy.
