Plainfield couple turns events into festival fun with Mr. Salty Eats

Plainfield couple Jeremy Olson and Rebecca Glowacki are thrilled that their Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats is part of Lockport’s Hayride of Horror this October.

The couple began their business more than a dozen years ago as Mr. Salty’s Popcorn. Olson said he noticed the popularity of kettle corn at a Wisconsin festival and said to Glowacki, “We should do this.”

So in 2012, they bought a kettle corn machine and a lemonade machine and started participating in festivals, cruise nights and farmers markets, Olson said.

“We were really not making any money,” Olson said. “It was fun doing something different, and people were enjoying the things we were doing.”

Eventually, the couple expanded their food choices and rebranded as Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats.

Through the years, Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats has served lemonade shakeups, funnel cakes, cotton candy, snow cones, deep-fried Oreos, handmade potato chips, cheese bacon fries, pork chops on a stick, foot-long and hand-dipped corn dogs, hot pretzels, nachos, monster shaved ice, brats and burgers.

Everything we make is our own twist.”

—  Jeremy Olson, co-owner and co-operator of Mr. Salty's Carnival Eats

Their Jake’s Famous Jumbo Elephant Ears are named for their youngest son, Olson said.

“People go crazy when we pass them out, as we make them bigger than the fryer can handle, but only at select events,” Olson said. “And I believe we have the best hand-dipped corn dog you’ve ever tasted.”

The couple also caters private events such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, block parties, school events and corporate events, even when the event is third shift, which Olson calls “carnival parties.”

“We even did a funeral during COVID because no restaurants were open,” Glowacki said.

The standard for carnival-style parties

Olson said he believes Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats is the standard for carnival-style parties. The couple prepares food in the moment – when an attendee asks for it – unlike other catered events, where food is served buffet-style, Olson said.

“Nobody brings the festival to you like we do with carnival foods and that big of a menu,” Olson said. “And everything we make is our own twist.”

The couple makes preparing and serving their food entertaining in an open-air, carnival-style trailer, where patrons see the entire process, Olson said.

“Even when I’m grilling, I’ll make the smell fly around to grab the people,” Olson said, adding, “You can see the person pouring the funnel cakes. You can see Rebecca dipping the corn dogs by hand. We hang all the cotton candy. We make a show of it.”

‘Taking care of people’

Olson said the heart of Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats is “taking care of people,” and they are “always giving stuff away.” He recalled one instance when a potential customer ultimately bought nothing.

“I said, ‘Here. Have a pork chop on a stick,’” Olson said. “Sometimes you just want to tell people, ‘Hey, we’ve got great stuff here, and you’re going to love it.’”

He said he feels Mr. Salty’s Carnival Eats is known for its reliability and consistency.

“We do everything the same way, so everybody is always going to get the same things,” Olson said. “We get there two hours early and make everything on-site. We also try to take care of the people that take care of us, especially the people running the event, the police, the workers.”

But running such an operation is hard work.

Recently, the couple rose at 2 a.m. to prepare for a weekend of events, Olson said. They left the house at 7 a.m. to work a fall festival, and then Olson and Glowacki went home to regroup and go their separate ways: he to a wedding in Roscoe, and she to an event in New Lenox.

“I didn’t get home until 2:30 in the morning,” Olson said. “That was a really long day. And I’m still working a full-time job.”

Glowacki said she feels their efforts are worth it. Their four children – Alexis, 21; Chloe, 18; Jakob, 16; and Emily, 13 – have learned business and customer service skills by watching and participating in their events.

Plus, they’ve met wonderful people, Glowacki said.

“People get to enjoy their parties because they’re not the ones running around making sure the food is ready. So people enjoy having us come to their house,” Glowacki said. “And then their friends loved having us so much they want us to go their parties.”

For information, text or call 815-302-0840 or visit facebook.com/MrSaltysKettlecorn.