This month, we pit mom and pop shop Uncle John’s Candy Shack against new kid on the block The Candy Bar in a battle of the bonbons. Who knows their tricks from their treats? You choose.
Uncle John’s Candy Shack |
vs. |
The Candy Bar |
| John and Dina (not pictured) Vanden Beek, 1982. | Owner and year opened: |
Paola Giavedoni, 2013. |
| Because it's fun for all ages and it makes people feel good to remember when we were all small. | What inspired you to open a candy shop? | My neighbourhod was lacking a friendly shop that combined world-sourced candy and international and local chocolate bars. |
| Candy a kid was gum in OPC hockey or baseball card packs. Also, penny candy in a bag from the corner store — in those days, only the corner store had candy | First memory of eating candy? | Frequent vistis to Crystal's Corner Variety, in Hamilton, on the way to grade school, live fondly in my memory. Mackintosh's Toffee and penny candy ruled the day. |
| Altogether, we've got 300 different kinds of candies. | How many types of candy in your store? | We have over 200 pick-and-mix varieties — both local and imported — and over 50 varieties of chocolate bars. |
| Lollipops with insects inside. | Most exotic candy you ever tasted? | Hand-wrapped coconut caramels. |
| Nowadays, we find that there's more and more hot candy around — it's sweet, sour and spicy. | How has candy changed over the years? | Options are plentiful today for conscious consumers: natural, organic, fair trade, vegan, gluten-free, raw… |
| We try to get candy for Halloween that nobody else has included. | Doing anything special for Halloween? | We'll have spooky fun on Halloween. There will be treats for costume-clad customers, young and old. |
|
Our favourite is "The Candy Man," by Sammy Davis Jr.
635 Mt. Pleasant Rd. |
Favourite candy-based song? |
"The Candy Man," by Sammy Davis Jr. is a winner!
849 College St. |
