World champion eater teams up with Rural King for community celebration in South Terre Haute, Indiana
MATTOON, Ill., May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Rural King, a family-owned retailer dedicated to the rural lifestyle, is bringing a larger-than-life event to South Terre Haute this Memorial Day weekend. Competitive eating icon Joey Chestnut will attempt to break his own world record for popcorn consumption at the South Terre Rural King store on Monday, May 26.
South Terre Haute storefront
Joey Chestnut
Long known for offering free popcorn to customers at its retail locations, Rural King is taking its signature snack to new heights with this unique partnership. Chestnut, the world’s top-ranked competitive eater, will take center stage in front of fans and media to try and set a record for the most popcorn eaten in eight minutes.
“This event is about bringing fun to our communities,” said Phil Reiter, Rural King Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce. “Our free popcorn has always been a fan favorite, and partnering with Joey Chestnut, the best in the world, is the perfect way to celebrate that tradition while giving our customers something memorable to experience this Memorial Day.”
The festivities will kick off with a meet-and-greet on Sunday, May 25, followed by the official record attempt on Monday, May 26. Weather permitting, the event is free and open to the public, with additional entertainment, giveaways, and family-friendly activities planned throughout the weekend.
“I love challenging myself and setting new records, and it’s great when I can do it in fun environments with lots of support,” said Chestnut. “Rural King is known for its popcorn, so breaking a record at their store just makes sense. I can’t wait to see the crowd and hopefully make history together.”
Chestnut has been eating competitively since the age of 21 and has staked his claim as the Greatest Eater of All Time. He is the holder of over 55 eating world records, across a wide variety of foods, including popcorn. He is widely known as the 16-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Champion and owns the hot dog eating world record of 83 in 10 minutes, set during a Netflix live event in 2024. Joey currently resides in Indianapolis, Ind. with his fiancée and three dogs.
This highly anticipated event is expected to draw local and national media attention, while highlighting Rural King’s continued commitment to creating positive, community-focused experiences in its stores.
About Rural King, Inc.Rural King, also known as RK Holdings, LLP, planted its roots as America’s Farm and Home Store in Mattoon, Illinois in 1960. Since that time, Rural King has grown to more than 140 stores in fourteen states. Rural King offers the lowest prices on a broad range of essential goods, food, feed, seed and other farm and home necessities to the communities we serve throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. We welcome and encourage everyone to enjoy our longstanding tradition of offering free popcorn and coffee every time you visit our stores.
SOURCE Rural King
