Rob Ariganello is basically a big kid in a candy store.
The Wasaga Beach man officially opened the doors to his Dunlop Street West business, Candy Heaven Exotic Snax and Pop Shop, on Oct. 1 and he says things have been going pretty well.
“It’s better than I expected," he tells BarrieToday. "I originally was planning on (opening) last October, but due to the pandemic, I was a little hesitant… but I finally decided that things had opened up a bit and said I couldn't wait any longer. The store started to wind down in Wasaga Beach and decided this was the opportunity.”
With shelves lined from floor to ceiling with hard-to-find retro candy, cereals and snacks, Candy Heaven Exotic Snax and Pop Shop is a candy addict's dream. And it’s easy to see why.
Ariganello has been in the “candy” business for over a decade, starting off in flea markets before expanding to vendor programs in hospitals, and eventually opening his first store six years ago in Wasaga Beach.
When the chance to expand from his seasonal store in the tourist town to a year-round operation in Barrie presented itself, Ariganello says he decided to jump on it.
“I had the opportunity through a family member to go out on a larger scale and I went for it,” he says.
The store offers unique candy and snack items from the United States and around the world.
Some of the more unique and hard-to-find items include vanilla and chocolate Dunkaroos, which Ariganello noted tend to bring back a lot of childhood memories for his customers.
“Then we have some collectibles, like the Pokemon Oreos. I had over 100 packages on display and within 48 hours, they were completely sold out,” he says. “I have Cheetos that come from Poland, flavours that you can barely find or are pretty rare. There’s Taco Bell spices from the States and, believe it or not, I am going to be bringing in some flavours of Ragu sauce from the States, things that you can’t find in the supermarkets here.
"It’s just things people aren’t able to purchase on a daily basis. It’s one of those things that when we did have access to them (in Canada) it was for a limited time… but I have access to them all year round.”
Ariganello admits that while you are never going to find one single candy store that’s going to carry every item out there, he does his best to get what his customers are looking for.
“We have a following online, so if they request something and we can source it, we will definitely bring it in for them," he says.
Candy Heaven Exotic Snax and Pop Shop is located at 461 Dunlop St. W., at the intersection of Ferndale Drive North.
