Kelowna is now home to a Willy Wonka inspired sweet shop.
Von Schweets has opened its doors to the public and filling the sweet tooth cavity in the city.
Owner Daynna Barkley says through research he found the last candy shop in downtown Kelowna closed in 2018.
“Obviously there’s a risk here of if candy stores work here in Kelowna. Why does Penticton have one and Vernon have one, but Kelowna hasn’t had one for five years. There’s somewhat of a risk, but at the same time I’m opening a business for which I have no direct competition, so there’s the potential there to do well.”
The idea for Von Schweets came from a desire to leave the construction industry behind.
“I wanted to do something fun for a change. There are lots of things that are fun, there’s lots of places where people want to spend their money… The candy store was kind of an evolution of what is affordable. Certain things that I considered, like opening a campground or doing a family fun centre… the amount of space that you need is prohibited from a lease perspective, so I wanted a fun place that had reasonably good margins in a small area.”
Von Schweets is a dentist’s nightmare, filled floor to ceiling with taffy, jelly beans, chocolate, truffles, ice cream, donuts, sodas, and more. There are even fun buttons situated around the store to activate the moving displays above the candy shelves.
A favourite of his, Barkley wanted truffles as a major attraction. “I kind of wanted to build the store around truffles, understanding that maybe everyone doesn’t love them as much as I do. So, I gave them a good amount of space in the store.”
In this candy land you’ll first come across the Truffle Trunks before finding yourself at the Taffy Tower, and if you detour back toward the cash register you’ll find yourself at Lolli-Pez Corner.
Von Schweets is hosting its grand opening on Canada Day. Barkley says customers can expect deals, giveaways, and possibly some free samples.
Check out Von Schweets on Bernard Avenue open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
READ MORE: Kelowna intersection still the worst in the Okanagan
@thebrittwebster
brittany.webster@blackpress.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on