A new candy store is helping satisfy customers’ cravings for sweet treats.
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“The weekend’s our specialty,” said part-owner Tasneem Eltohami, two weeks after the Jan. 27th grand opening of Candy Craze & Pop at 20 Clarence Street. “It’s a lot busier than we expected.
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“It has been busy because people prefer exotic candy,” said manager Jimmy Ayer, noting they have a wide variety of hard-to-find candy and snack products, and beverages, including some he had never even seen before.
Eltohami said they were looking to offer something “nostalgic” in the community.
“It’s very nostalgic, that’s what we hoped for,” said Eltohami. “I felt like I needed to do something to give back to the community and I was just inspired. I love kids, so I was like, ‘Let me just open a candy shop… let me try to see if this works or not… got to take a risk.’ It’s something different – I don’t think there are a lot of exotic candy stores in Brantford.”
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Some flavors and brands are well-known, some are rare. They also stock a range of products inspired by popular cultural icons like The Office, Batman and Harley Quinn candy, Mr. Beast chocolate bars, Harry Potter chocolate frogs, Golden Girls and Bob Ross mints, and more.
“A lot of work went into it, a lot of research,” said Eltohami, who has traveled extensively in the US and Egypt. “I was kind of amazed by what they had and I was inspired. I just wanted to get something from everywhere and have a big variety, something for everyone. Some things we don’t even have in Canada.
“Compared to a lot of stores in the States, it’s not as big of a variety, but we do try our best with the resources we have. We try our best to make everyone happy, so we definitely do take requests.”
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Freeze-dried candies, made on site, are some of their best sellers, Ayer noted, including the current best seller, cookie dough candy.
“These are going very well,” said Ayer, nodding toward the set of shelves near the entrance that includes Nerds, Skittles and bubble gum flavors.
They are made in-house using a machine at the back of the store, said Eltohami. “They are very popular.”
Many first-time customers have already come back in the first two weeks, and parents often bring their children to shop with them.
“Some I see for the third or fourth time,” said Ayer. “It’s been a good response.”
Eltohami agreed. “Weekends are very busy. During the week, people are at school or at work. Weekends are where it’s at.”
Candy Craze & Pop can be found online on Facebook and Instagram. They are working on a website that will allow online orders and pickup/delivery.
Open seven days a week from 10 am-10 pm, the store hours have already been extended since they first opened.
“We want to thank the community for the support,” said Eltohami. “We were definitely stunned by the amount of people that did show up, and the amount of people that were telling their friends and families about us. We do really appreciate it, coming from a small business, and I do want to give thanks to everyone for that.”
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