Strolling through Sweet Life Candy & Pop Shop is a walk down memory lane for me, and for a lot of customers.
My family recently discovered Sweet Life Candy & Pop Shop in Waterloo, where we picked up nostalgic treats from my childhood.
I was delighted to find vintage sweets like Nik-L-Nip wax bottles, Tart ‘n’ Tinys candy, and Tahitian Treat soda pop.
I struck up a conversation with Andrew Ariganello, owner of the shop near the corner of King and Columbia streets. He told me he first opened a candy shop in London, just before the pandemic hit, and then the Waterloo store last January.
“We had to quickly adapt and change from in-store shopping to curb side pick-up and delivering locally in London,” he told me. “The community has supported us immensely, and we’re always trying to find new and unique items that you can’t find in other stores. We’re now carrying close to 5,000 items and we’re still growing.”
Strolling through Sweet Life Candy & Pop Shop is a walk down memory lane for me, and for a lot of customers. I rediscovered so many tastes of my youth, from Little Hug Fruit Barrels to Easy Cheese to Rum & Butter candy bars -- and soda from The Pop Shoppe, including my childhood favourite Lime Ricky.
“It’s incredibly rewarding when you see customers leaving the shop with a smile,” said Ariganello. “We have made a lot of friends as we get to know customers personally, who have helped us build this business.”
I told Ariganello how I’ve loved sour candy for as long as I can remember, and was excited to find Too Tarts Dip ‘n Lick Super Sour, Cry Baby Nitro Sours, and Warheads Sour Lemon Soda.
“I'm a huge fan of sour candy also,” he replied. “We carry a wide selection of sour, everything from sour candy to soda to gum, and one of the most popular sour brands would be the Toxic Waste hard candy,” he said.
I was pleased to find Sour Patch Kids in various flavours including blue raspberry, peach, strawberry and grape. And I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw Tahitian Treat pop in his shop after all these years, I told Ariganello.
“Tahitian Treat has been the most popular soda that we carry with its long history,” he said. “I’ve always been a big fan of Mountain Dew, so whenever they bring out new flavours, I’m always eager to try them.”
Many of the products you’ll find at Sweet Life Candy & Pop Shop come from across North and South America, Asia, and beyond.
“I import from all over the globe,” said Ariganello. “Looking for new items for the shop definitely keeps me on my toes. It feels like a constant treasure hunt, especially when it comes to finding beloved candy from past decades that are now back in stock. The best part is seeing the excitement from customers and hearing their personal memories of their childhood favourites when they rediscover a candy bar or pop that they fondly remember.”
As we get older, we tend to "outgrow" some of the sweet treats we loved in childhood. But one taste of a favourite candy or pop can transport you back to simpler times.
If your inner child still has a sweet tooth, you should get a taste of the Sweet Life.
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