Lance Chody is the owner and CEO of Garrett Brands LLC. This privately held company runs Garrett Popcorn Shops and owns the Frango chocolate brand. Corporate offices sit in Chicago and Hong Kong.
Garrett Popcorn started in 1949. Today the brand operates in nine countries. Chody bought the company with a partner in 2005, and he turned a beloved Chicago shop into a global name in confections.
This article looks at his net worth, his path to wealth, his family, and his ties to Chicago.
Lance Chody Net Worth
Lance Chody’s estimated net worth sits at around $50 million. Since Garrett Brands is a private company, exact financial records stay out of public view.
This figure likely reflects the value of Garrett Popcorn Shops, the Frango chocolate acquisition, and real estate the Chody family owns. As of 2026, the brand runs dozens of stores across multiple countries, which adds to the family’s overall wealth.
Private business valuations are hard to confirm from the outside. The $50 million estimate should be treated as an approximation rather than an audited number.
How Did Lance Chody Make His Money?
Chody built his fortune through a few main channels.
His primary income source is Garrett Brands. The popcorn shops now operate across nine countries and continue to grow.
His second source came from a 2017 deal. That year, Garrett Brands acquired the Frango chocolate brand from Macy’s. This expanded the company’s reach beyond popcorn into premium chocolate.
Real estate adds a third layer to his wealth. The Chody family bought a home in Lake Forest, Illinois in 2002 for $2.8 million and later sold it for $4.72 million. That sale points to a solid real estate portfolio alongside the family’s business holdings.
Chody’s strategy centres on buying and growing brands with deep history and franchise value. He has spoken about wanting to bring these brands to more people without losing what made them special in the first place.
How Much Did Lance Chody Buy Garrett Popcorn For?
Lance Chody and a partner bought Garrett Popcorn in 2005 for between $7 million and $8 million.
That price looks small next to the brand’s later growth. By 2019, Garrett had expanded to 48 stores in cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Madrid, and Tokyo. Garrett also became the official popcorn of the Chicago Sky, the city’s women’s professional basketball team.
Over roughly 14 to 15 years, that original $7 to $8 million investment grew into a global brand. This growth helps explain how the family reached an estimated net worth of $50 million.
Garrett Popcorn CEO
Lance Chody serves as CEO and Chairman of Garrett Brands LLC. His role covers Garrett Popcorn Shops in nine countries, the Frango chocolate brand, and corporate operations run from Chicago and Hong Kong. The company stays privately held and family-operated.
Garrett Popcorn is known for handcrafted popcorn in sweet and savoury flavours. Its signature product, the Garrett Mix, blends CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn. This mix started in Chicago and has since become the brand’s calling card. Celebrities including Oprah and Beyoncé have publicly praised the product, which speaks to the brand’s reach.
Lance Chody and Garrett Popcorn: Building an Empire
Garrett Popcorn opened in 1949. Chody’s 2005 acquisition marked a turning point, shifting the shop from a local Chicago favourite into an international brand.
A few things set Garrett Popcorn apart. The company uses both butterfly and mushroom kernels, air-pops its popcorn, and makes fresh batches daily in each location. The exact recipes stay closely guarded, and the company has taken legal steps to protect them.
The brand’s cultural pull runs deep in Chicago. Tourists still line up outside the flagship store on the Magnificent Mile, drawn in part by the smell of caramel and cheese popcorn in the air. Chody built on this heritage to expand the brand worldwide while keeping quality consistent across locations.
The Frango Chocolate Acquisition
In January 2017, Garrett Brands acquired the Frango chocolate brand from Macy’s.
Frango has a long history in Chicago. The chocolate was first created in 1918 on the West Coast, then acquired by Chicago’s Marshall Field’s in 1929. For decades, Frango mints stood as a signature item at the State Street flagship store.
After the sale, Macy’s kept selling Frango products in more than 350 stores and online, while Garrett Brands took over the brand’s development and distribution. Chody described his goal as bringing Frango to more people in more places, the same approach he has taken with Garrett’s other brands.
This deal broadened Garrett Brands’ portfolio, moving the company beyond popcorn and into premium chocolate.
Lance Chody Family
Lance Chody runs Garrett Brands alongside his wife, Megan Chody, and the rest of his family. The company is described as privately held and operated by Lance Chody and his family, which places the Chodys at the centre of both the business and the public interest in their name.
Lance Chody Wife: Megan Chody
Megan Chody is Lance’s wife and business partner. Together, they grew Garrett Popcorn Shops from a local shop into an international retailer.
The couple also shared real estate ventures, including the purchase and later sale of their Lake Forest home. Beyond her role alongside Lance in the family business, there is little public information available about Megan Chody’s individual career or background.
How Much Is the Chody Family Worth?
The Chody family’s estimated net worth stands at around $50 million.
This figure comes from a few sources. The privately held Garrett Brands portfolio, which includes Garrett Popcorn Shops across nine countries and the Frango chocolate brand, makes up the core of this wealth. Real estate holdings add to the total. The Lake Forest property alone sold for $4.72 million. Other private investments likely round out the family’s finances.
Since Garrett Brands stays privately held, the full scope of the family’s wealth is not open to public record. Published estimates should be treated as informed approximations rather than confirmed figures.
Lance Chody Chicago Roots
Garrett Popcorn and Chicago are hard to separate. The brand’s flagship store sits on the Magnificent Mile, and the Garrett Mix itself traces back to loyal Chicago customers in the late 1970s. The company’s headquarters remain in the city.
The Chody family lived in Lake Forest, a northern suburb in the Chicago area’s North Shore. Their home at 575 East Westminster was built in 1900 and sat on 1.31 acres. The property featured five bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen, a golf simulation room, and a wine cellar.
Between the brand’s Chicago identity and the family’s North Shore roots, Chody stays closely tied to the city’s business and social life.
Lance Chody’s Current Occupation
As of the most recent available information, Lance Chody works as the owner, CEO, and Chairman of Garrett Brands LLC.
His day-to-day work involves guiding the global growth of Garrett Popcorn Shops, managing the Frango chocolate brand, and looking for new historic confectionery brands to acquire and grow. Corporate offices in Chicago and Hong Kong point to an international scope of operations.
Garrett’s partnership as the official popcorn of the Chicago Sky shows the brand stays active in marketing and community ties under Chody’s leadership.
