Picking through the glass jars of retro candy, customer Michael Klabisch begins pointing out the nostalgic tastes of his childhood.
There’s the butterscotch button candies, an eye-catching yellow color, that he would grab a handful of before going out to ride his bike with friends. He comments on the strawberry bon bons — which he refers to as the “grandma candy” — that he stuffed in his pockets while running outside to play until the street lights came on.
The boxes of candy cigarettes sitting temptingly on the nearby shelf bring back memories of going to the drugstore with a note from his mom to buy her real cigarettes. To Michael, Candyality isn’t just a trip to the candy store, it’s a trip back in time.
“We’re not buying candy, we’re buying memories,” Michael said.
Every spare square inch of space at Candyality on Southport Avenue is filled with a wide variety of candy, neatly categorized into 12 candy personalities. Based on the assorted bag of candy Michael and his wife, Hillary Klabisch, put together, they didn’t fit into just one “candyality.”
“Considering we bought a little bit of everything, you can’t miss,” Hillary said.
Candyality opened in 2007, but co-owners Nayeli Roberston-Garcia and her husband, Mario Roberston, only purchased the store in February after months of conversations. The opportunity to purchase Candyality wasn’t just a business opportunity for Chicago native Nayeli — it was also a chance to be a bigger part of the city’s small business community.
“I’ve always been community based,” Nayeli said. “I think having the retail store allows me to provide a platform for other people who are already doing amazing things and being able to join together on that.”
Candyality is Nayeli and Mario’s first business venture. While Nayeli helps run the day-to-day operations of the store — including placing orders, running events, helping with marketing and even manning the cash register — Mario kept his day job as a lawyer.
He said Candyality satisfies both his sweet tooth and his interest in learning everything he can about the business side of the candy store.
“I love coming in and seeing people drawn to their favorite candies and walking in being greeted by the smell of popcorn,” Mario said. “… I really like seeing that part of it as well as doing the business aspects, learning the numbers, learning everything I can. I think it’s hand in hand. You can’t sell something you don’t know.”
From retro sweets to vegan gummies to house-made popcorn, Nayeli said it’s all part of catering to their customer base: anyone with a sweet tooth.
Other dessert shops along Southport Avenue like Jeni’s Ice Cream, Broune Desserts or even the candy aisles in Jewel-Osco don’t frighten Nayeli. Even if they’re catering toward the same audience, she said all the small businesses are in this together.
“How can we use our strengths to join together so when people are visiting Southport, they want to make their rounds to all the businesses?” Nayeli said. “I don’t want (customers) to think it’s Candyality versus something else because we’re a community.”
One new venture they’ve implemented to increase their sales is a candy subscription box called the Candy Club. The subscription features a monthly box that is uniquely themed and curated each time.
The Candy Club box is currently only available for in-store pick up but Mario said they want to eventually start shipping them.
“It’s exciting for someone who loves candy and wants to try different things to play with their candy boundaries,” Nayeli said.
The store does offer online purchases for delivery or pickup through DoorDash. For customers like Michael, though, that may take away from the joys of the candy store.
“The experience of not buying things online but actually coming in and touching things and having those memories of when you were a kid, this is a little pricey but it’s worth the experience,” Michael said.
Nayeli said she doesn’t want Candyality to only be a staple of the Southport Corridor, she wants it to be a landmark in Chicago.
“I want this to be a touristy spot for people where they can understand that this is a classic in Chicago,” Nayeli said. “This is a place where you can go for an experience, like deep dish pizza but candy. I want Chicago (and Candyality) to be synonymous with each other.”
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