Northern Minnesota family offers nostalgic and quirky sweets at candy store
Pine trees are a common sight up north. But on a Carlton, Minnesota, road, they're joined by giant lollipops. They serve as the welcoming committee for Sweetly Kismet, one of the largest candy stores in the state.
About 10 years ago, the Parrott family was living the sweet life. Cruising along the west coast while mom Ashley worked as a traveling nurse, dad John worked as a pilot and the kids kept up with their studies on the road. But what the family was really searching for was a golden ticket business idea.
"It wasn't until our daughter suggested, 'Why don't we do that candy store idea?" Said Ashley Parrott.
So just before COVID, Ashley and John Parrott quit their jobs, bought some land and built their candy palace with no retail experience. Then, the pandemic hit, taking the momentum out of their sugar rush.
"They said, 'Man, if you can get through Covid, you can do anything,'" said Ashley Parrott.
Not only did they get through, they flourished. Five years after opening, the Parrots are making their own fudge and selling 1,200 different types of sweets.
"We have a sign at the end of the driveway, or as you are entering the driveway, that says, 'Welcome to your sweet spot,'" said Ashley Parrott.
A lot of the candy and pop visitors see in the store is nostalgic. For example, they sell Bubble Up, which was first bottled in 1919.
They also sell the Root Beer Lady's famous concoction. Dorothy Molter once lived in the Boundary Waters wilderness area, and the Parrott's sell cases of her sugary soda.
"They are, by far, our best seller here in the store," said Ashley Parrott.
The store also offers odd items.
"We've got a lot of weird ones. One of them being the Pickle Soda," said Brea Parrot, Ashley's daughter.
The candy selection is also seemingly endless. It too has both quirky and traditional treats. They even have a vast Valentine's Day selection in the back of their 1925 Model T.
"I've never been here before. I love it. It's pretty awesome," said Sasha Thayer, a customer from Aitkin, Minnesota.
"There's a lot of selection and variety. It's stuff I've never even seen before," said Brandon DeCent, a customer from Brainerd, Minnesota.
The Parrott family took a leap of faith and it paid off. What makes it even sweeter is that they've built this candy empire together.
"I have two brothers. Definitely have a super close relationship with the two of them. Just because we've been working side by side. Same as my parents. I mean, I couldn't have asked for anything better than that," said Brea Parrott.
The word "Kismet" is used in several languages, and it means "meant to be."
Sweetly Kismet Candy Store is located just off Interstate 35 in Carlton, and it's open year-round. Its busiest time of year tends to be Memorial Day through October.
