Published: June 15, 2017
When Steven Carse founded King of Pops (KOP) with his brother, Nick, in 2009, he had no idea it would grow into a frozen treats empire. Now, the company has operations all throughout the Southeast, and Atlantans can pick up KOP products at one of its signature pushcarts throughout the city or at local markets and grocery stores.
As the company expanded, KOP began organizing local fitness initiatives such as Free Yoga in the Park, a weekly outdoor yoga session that consistently attracts huge crowds of participants. More recently, the company formed the King of Pops Run Club, which meets twice a week and is open to employees and the rest of Atlanta alike.
On the Fourth of July, Steven will participate in the AJC Peachtree Road Race with other members of the KOP crew as part of Mizuno’s #whyipeachtree challenge.
We asked Steven what the iconic event means to him, and why he’s excited to be part of it. Check out the interview below, and be sure to tell us why you Peachtree on Facebook or Instagram using #whyipeachtree!
Why do you participate in the AJC Peachtree Road Race? It’s 100% Atlanta, and I love that. It’s an event that the whole city loves.
How many times have you run the race? This will be my first time. I’ve vended pops for years there, though!
Tell us about the KOP Run Club. How did you get started? We were all running at different times in the afternoon or evening just to get out of the office. Eventually, we decided we should be doing it together at least once a week. Now we have two times that we meet up, and if you participate, we give you a free pop as a little extra incentive. It’s important to have a healthy lifestyle, and we hope to encourage our community to do just that.
Where are your favorite places to run? My favorite place to run is the BeltLine (when it’s not super busy). Other than that, I enjoy just exploring new neighborhoods. We have so many cool and beautiful places in Atlanta, and it’s fun to jog around and imagine living there – or putting a pop cart there!
How does the King of Pops crew celebrate the AJC Peachtree Road Race? This year our Run Club is participating in the race. Normally, we’re just excited to be a part of it in any way we can. Sometimes that means a random party we cater, and other times it means a vending location that is 1000% busier than usual.
As the owner of a business that is such an integral part of Atlanta, why do you think the AJC Peachtree Road Race is important to the city? I think the community loves it. It’s a part of so many people’s traditions. It’s a celebration of our country, but also our city.
What is one piece of advice you would give to all the Peachtree participants this year? It’s going to be hot. Keep an eye out for the rainbow umbrella. If you don’t have your wallet, maybe the vendor will be able to make your day.