WRITTEN BY CAITLIN M. DEWICKI
The Sweet Simplicity of Summer
Before social media, electronic screens, and endless notifications, summer looked a little different. It was running through the sprinkler until dinner time, drinking from the garden hose-because somehow it tasted colder-and cooling off with a popsicle after spending all day in the heat. Those moments weren’t extravagant, but they became the memories many of us remember most fondly.
For Natalie Heiter, co-founder of Lofty Pops, those simple childhood moments never really disappeared. Instead, they became the inspiration behind a Michigan business dedicated to bringing families back to the simple joys of summer.
“We’re just…taking it back to simple joys. Stripping away everything else and just bringing it back to simple fun and simple joy.”
Simple Joys, Big Dreams
Like many great ideas, Lofty Pops began with a simple observation.
Natalie’s brother, Philip, owns Marilyn’s, an organic smoothie and superfood bowl business based out of the Royal Oak Farmers Market. Families frequently stopped by for smoothies, but he noticed parents often splitting one drink among several children. After seeing this, he thought: “Why not turn these delicious smoothies into popsicles?” Natalie recalls.
At the time, Natalie was working in corporate health care with young twin daughters at home. Entrepreneurship wasn’t part of the plan, but when Philip shared the idea, she immediately saw its potential.
“I thought it was genius,” she says. “Having young kids myself…I was like, this would be great.”
What started as helping with marketing on evenings and weekends quickly became something much bigger. Just six months later, Natalie made the leap, leaving behind a stable corporate career to join Lofty Pops full time. “I told my boss, I’m leaving this amazing company that I had a great relationship with…to sell popsicles,” she laughs. It was a decision rooted in faith - faith in the product, faith in each other, and faith that families were looking for something different.
Fortunately, Natalie and Philip already had decades of experience working together. As the youngest two of four siblings, they grew up side by side, building the kind of trust that only comes from a lifetime of shared experiences. Today, that relationship remains one of Lofty Pops’ greatest strengths. Philip oversees production and operations, while Natalie leads marketing and sales, allowing each to focus on what they do best.
Their first major opportunity came in the summer of 2024 when Lofty Pops opened its first kiosk at the Detroit Zoo. Unsure of how visitors would respond to organic, dairy-free popsicles, Natalie and Philip worked the stand themselves, introducing families to their new frozen treats one pop at a time. They quickly realized they had filled a need they hadn’t even known existed.
“People were thanking us for being there. That’s when we knew…this was something people had been looking for.”
As summer came to an end, visitors kept asking the same question: ‘Where can we buy these outside the zoo?’ That question eventually led Lofty Pops into local grocery stores, including one of its earliest retail partners, Woodward Corner Market.
Crafted for Summer
While Lofty Pops may have started with smoothies, its foundation has always been much deeper. From the beginning, Natalie and Philip wanted every pop to be made with ingredients they would feel confident sharing with their own families.
“Organic ingredients are something that’s just in our foundation. We knew there was an opportunity to make it better for you.”
Rather than relying on artificial flavors and long ingredient lists, Lofty Pops lets real fruit do most of the work. Their pops are made with organic fruit, a touch of organic cane sugar, and simple ingredients that create a creamy texture without dairy, resulting in frozen treats that are dairy-free, gluten-free, allergen-friendly, and accessible to a wide variety of diets.
Just as important as the ingredients is the flavor. Before a single Lofty Pop reaches customers, recipes go through countless rounds of testing until the team is confident they’ve created something worth sharing. “Flavor was so important for us,” Natalie says. “We didn’t want to roll out with just good enough. Our chefs take it very seriously.”
That commitment has led to a growing lineup of favorites, from Strawberry Lemon and Blue Raspberry to Orange Dreamsicle, Chocolate Fudge and seasonal creations like Watermelon Bliss. Some flavors are inspired by childhood classics, while others began as ideas tossed around by Natalie, Philip, and their culinary team before taking shape in the kitchen. “It’s a collaborative thing,” Natalie explains. “We’re always throwing out ideas.”
With universally loved favorites like Strawberry Lemon or Blue Raspberry, it’s easy for customers to be reminded of childhood summers. This experience is exactly what Natalie hopes every customer experiences when they unwrap a Lofty Pop.
“Refreshing. Relaxing. And Fun. Popsicles to us are very nostalgic…who doesn’t love a popsicle?”
More than a Popsicle
As Lofty Pops has grown from a single kiosk at the Detroit Zoo into select Meijer Market Format stores and community events across Michigan, one thing has remained the same: people are at the center of everything they do.
Natalie lights us up when she talks about Michigan’s community of local businesses. Having once admired many of these entrepreneurs herself, she now finds Lofty Pops alongside them at markets, festivals, and retailers like Woodward Corner Market.
“It means so much to us,” she says. “I love the local community. We always support local whenever we can. And so now, being one of those small businesses in the local community, everyone has welcomed us with open arms.”
What has surprised her most isn’t the competition - it’s the collaboration. Fellow small business owners freely share advice, resources, and encouragement, understanding that each of them leaped into the unknown to pursue something they believed in.
That same spirit of community extends to the families who enjoy Lofty Pops, and one experience continues to remind Natalie exactly why they started the business.
While working an outdoor festival in Ann Arbor, a mother and her teenage son stopped by their booth and asked if every flavor was dairy-free. When Natalie told them yes, the mother explained her son had a severe dairy allergy and had never been able to enjoy a chocolate popsicle before.
After purchasing a Chocolate Fudge Lofty Pop, they returned, and the son explained, “This is the best popsicle I’ve ever had.” Natalie smiles fondly as she recalls this encounter, “This is why we do it. This is why we make them dairy-free, allergen-friendly…there are so many kids with allergies that just can’t have this, can’t have that. He was a teenager and had never been able to have a chocolate popsicle…until now.”
For Natalie, moments like that matter far more than sales numbers. They’re a reminder that dessert should be something everyone gets to enjoy. Lofty Pops aren’t meant to replace a sweet treat - they’re meant to make one more accessible. That’s why every pop is crafted to be both flavorful and inclusive, proving that simple ingredients and thoughtful recipes can still feel like an indulgence.
Sweet Partnerships
Although Lofty Pops is still a young company, its future is already taking shape. Since launching at the Detroit Zoo, the business has expanded into additional zoos and specialty markets while earning USDA Organic certification. Looking ahead, Natalie has a simple vision for what’s next. “Find us nationwide,” she beams.
Even as Lofty Pops continues to grow, there are parts of the business Natalie hopes will never change. “I hope the simplicity of our ingredients never changes. I hope the fun that we have as a team never ends,” she says. Those values have guided Lofty Pops from the very beginning and continue to shape every new flavor, every community partnership, and every family who discovers the brand for the first time.
For a company built on quality ingredients, local connections, and simple moments, Woodward Corner Market has been a natural fit from the beginning. As one of Lofty Pops’ earliest retail partners, the market has introduced the brand to shoppers who value supporting Michigan-made products and the people behind them.
“Woodward Corner Market was an early adopter. The people who shop here are looking for local, quality products. They just seemed like the perfect collaboration for us.”
Today, customers can find Lofty Pops among Woodward Corner Market’s thoughtfully curated selection of local vendors. Their personalized popsicle freezers can be found near checkout, making it easy to bring home a frozen treat that’s crafted with real ingredients, easy to say “yes” to, and a story worth sharing.
After all, Lofty Pops isn’t just about creating popsicles. It’s about bringing people back to the moments that inspired them in the first place-the afternoons spent running through the sprinkler, sharing laughs with siblings and family, and cooling off with something sweet after a day in the sun.
Whether it’s your first taste of a Lofty Pop or one that keeps transporting you back to childhood, you’ll discover that the best summer memories don't have to stay in the past. Sometimes, they’re just waiting for you in the freezer.
