MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)– A candy store downtown is taking the word “yummy” to a whole new level.
Yummy Treats Candy & More, 140 E. Center Street, is a one-stop shop for those with a sweet tooth, offering a wide variety of candy, snacks, and soda, especially retro candy and other popular, hard-to-find confections.
“We’re always looking for the most crazy and innovative candies that none of the big chain stores would ever have,” said owner John Haupt. “Most people are wowed when they come into the store.”
The sweet-smelling shop carries Bottle Caps, Pixie Sticks, and Licorice Pipes. Remember them as a kid? Plus, other beloved treats like Long Boys, Clark Cups, bubble gum cigars, and Black Jack and Teaberry gum.
“I’ve got grandmas and grandpas coming in with their grandkids saying, ‘This is what I ate as a kid,’” Haupt said. “Everything sells really well. We follow the trends and the candy that goes viral on TikTok.”
Haupt and his wife, Jackie, opened the candy store on September 27, 2023, after they attended the National Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. “We saw all kinds of stuff we’ve never seen before, and we thought we can bring this to Marion.”
They also brought in premium chocolates imported from Germany, Australia, and the United Kingdom and Kit Kat bars from Japan because they’re made in distinct flavors, such as strawberry and cookies and cream, Haupt said.
Other sought-after sweets, he said, include Dubai chocolate bars filled with pistachio and pouches of “poop” cotton candy – novelties named after animal droppings and created by The Original Bag of Poo company.
The 900-square-foot shop, he said, is also known for its large selection of Peelerz, peelable 3-D gummy candy bursting with tropical fruit flavors, and more than 150 varieties of pop, including Ramune Japanese soda sealed with its signature round marble.
Even beef jerky has proved to be a customer favorite, Haupt said, since it’s made by Mythical Meats and inspired by werewolfs and dozens of other mythical creatures. “They’re just fun. I’ve tried them all and they’re all delicious.”
Jackie, who oversees the store décor and colorful candy displays, also organizes coloring contests for kids and scavenger hunts throughout the year. The winner, of course, gets a piece of candy.
Yummy Treats is poised to open a second location this month in the Richland Mall, Ontario, which will be in front of the food court, Haupt said. “The Mansfield location is already stocked and ready to rock.”
The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.