Starting a small business is never easy. For longtime friends Jackie Woodward and Natalie Paracca Cannon, co-owners of Poppies Gourmet in Mars, it’s been a journey defined by friendship, persistence, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves—literally.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished because we have done it,” Jackie said. “Neither of us had ever opened a storefront before, but we started this business on a shoestring budget—no attorney, no investors, just the two of us.”
Both women came to the food world from different paths. Natalie is an artist and painter who spent many spare hours working in catering, while Jackie built her reputation as a private yacht chef and personal chef after cooking school in New York and Boston. Their dream of opening a storefront lingered for years until, in late 2022, they finally decided to take the leap. By May, Poppies was open.
“This wasn’t a whim or a hobby,” Jackie said. “This is our livelihood. We need to make money, and we’ve put everything into it.”
That commitment means long hours. Natalie often arrives as early as 6 a.m., while her business partner sometimes stays until 9 p.m. or later. “There are no sick days, no backup. It’s just us,” Jackie said. “But we made a commitment, and we’re here every day to honor it.”
Their partnership, forged back in high school, has been tested but never broken. “Sometimes we yell at each other,” Natalie laughed. “But for two people working as closely as we do, the fact that we’ve had only a few tough moments is probably our biggest success.”
Running a food business comes with unique challenges—chief among them, rising costs. “The price of product is the biggest change since we started,” Jackie explained. “We put out a really good product, but it’s expensive and labor-intensive. Everything is scratch made and of the highest quality, using organic as much as possible.”
Despite the obstacles, both women remain passionate about their work. “If someone told me the hours we’d work and the money we’d make, I might have said no way,” Jackie admitted. “But I still love to cook. It’s my favorite thing to do. That’s what keeps me coming back.”
Her advice for anyone thinking about starting a business? “Patience and tenacity,” she said. “Keep rolling with it when it feels like it’s not working. Reinvent, look for what’s needed, and keep going. If you find something you truly love to do, you’ll find the energy to make it work.”
For the owners of Poppies, that energy is fueled by a blend of passion, perseverance, and a friendship that has stood the test of time—and now powers one of Mars’ most distinctive food businesses.
Friendship, Food, and Tenacity: Poppies Owners Build Business from Scratch
