Candy Store To Boast Novelty Sweets

The empty storefront at 140 Nassau St. will soon be transformed by a swirl of bold colors, bright lights, vibrant music and vintage '70s TV shows.

Ricky's Candy, Cones and Chaos, an ice cream and candy shop, is scheduled to open the second or third week of June, in the location formally occupied by Sam Goody, owner Rick Barber said.

Barber and business partner Charles Alario are still waiting for the final building permits.

Barber, who formerly worked in merchandising at FAO Schwarz, said the store will be highly animated. Designers hired to decorate the shop interior have done work for Disney and the Warner Brothers Company, he added.

From candy-themed music to televisions playing cartoons, candy commercials and '70s sitcoms, Barber said the candy shop will have something for everyone.

"We are aiming to serve kids from age five to 55," he said. The store will provide a wide variety of candy.

"We have everything from the traditional penny candies to the new glowing, popping and interactive ones," he said.

Barber recalled taking his five-cent allowance down to the local candy shop each week as a child, and spending what felt like all afternoon debating over which five pieces of penny-candy he would buy.

"It was something I savored, and that I want to bring back," he said.

The candies, which will be provided by over 100 manufacturers, will cover a full array of sweets, including novelty and regional candies.

"Let's say you come from Kansas and as a kid you loved a candy called cherry mash and now you are away from home at Princeton University," Barber said. "You'll be able to find that candy in our store and we hope it makes you smile." The store will also stock foreign candies from England and other European locations, in addition to 14 varieties of gummy bears, Barber's personal favorite.

Barber said he is not worried about competition from stores such as Thomas Sweet and Lindt Chocolate, both located on Nassau Street. "We focus on penny-candies, not the fancier chocolates that these other stores sell," he said.

In addition to candy, the store will sell ice cream that will be made fresh on location daily.

"We don't have one thing we are specifically depending on," Barber explained. "Instead we have a variety of options including ice cream for warm days and a birthday party room that can be used year-round." The store is also considering special student promotions.

The process of opening the new store has been fairly uncontroversial, though the owners did have to change their initial plans for the store exterior to gain approval from the Princeton historical society.

"We want to stand out, but we want to fit in," Barber said, explaining that the old-fashioned downtown charm is one of the reasons he and his business partner chose to open a shop in Princeton.

Though the exterior of the store will conform to the Nassau Street style, the interior will be entirely different.

"We found a skylight that was buried by Sam Goody, and we want to open it up and take advantage of all that beautiful natural light," Barber said.

The Princeton shop is one of three candy shops in the New Jersey and New York area that the business duo is currently attempting to open.

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