Swedish candy shop in St. Louis Park sold out of nearly everything at soft opening
The Candy Shop in St. Louis Park sold out of nearly everything it had in stock during its soft opening, and owner Anne Andrus says she didn't see it coming.
"I didn't anticipate how much they love candy," Andrus said.
The shop, which opened over the summer, is filled with colorful gummies, sours, licorice, foams and other sweets imported from Europe, with a particular focus on Swedish candy. It carries BUBS, a popular Swedish brand. Andrus said The Candy Shop is one of only a few Minnesota retailers specializing in the sweets, which have become increasingly popular in the United States.
The selection is different from what's typically found at an American grocery store. Andrus said shelves here are full of "your standard gummy worms, gummy bears," while the Swedish candy introduces "foamy textures" and "slightly creamier items."
Customers fill bags from scoop stations around the store, and everything is sold by weight, so they can take one of each or as many as they like.
Andrus said the shop has attracted plenty of adults, too. She has watched parents come in with their children, then return on their own for another visit.
"I think there's a lot of nostalgia in it," Andrus said. "A sweet treat, a reward, a little something special that is so personal and individual that I think it hits at any age."
The shop is in the former storefront of Bakehouse, where Andrus and her team host classes, parties, pop-ups and more. The idea for a candy shop came out of brainstorming new ideas for the space.
"We started brainstorming new ideas, and about a year and a half ago, the idea popped in and we said, how about candy?" Andrus said.
Bakehouse no longer has a storefront, but the classes and parties continue, and its bakery items are still available at Honey and Rye bakery just down the street.
Opening the shop came with some hurdles. Andrus said candy shipments were delayed in customs while officials checked labeling and safety requirements.
A few treats are made in-house, including caramel, marshmallows and a traditional Swedish princess cake.
Andrus sees the shop as an extension of the community she has built through Honey and Rye and Bakehouse. It's "kind of a parallel" to them, she said, and "another reason to bring people to the Bakehouse."
The Candy Shop is open Thursdays through Sundays.
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