Jan-Michael T.
Yelp
"Come with me, and you'll be;
in a world of pure imagination!
Take a look, and you'll see;
into your imagination!" - Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"
I had to start out this review with the opening stanza of the popular song performed by Gene Wilder in the iconic movie because though it is a "smaller scale," entering the sugary halls of Bulk Candy Store is like miniature self-guided tour into candy galore.
Thanks to my numerous connections to like every single tourism, local venue, and "I love my town" group or page going all the way up to Jacksonville, all the way west to Tampa, and all the way south to the Keys, I was given numerous green flags to check out Bulk Candy Store from numerous friends and my fellow Yelp Elites. Ergo, I made it a plan to head there after work (I work overnights in Palm Beach Gardens) at around 9 a.m., the time when everyone is all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
Upon turning into the private parking lot, I knew I was going to love being here. Their street moniker features gigantic-sized candies, specifically Mike & Ike, Candy Dots, a lollipop, and Smarties. The parking lot had gigantic Toxic Waste sour candy drums scattered about, too.
After parking into "Zero Bar," in which each parking space seems to have a candy associated with it. When you enter, there is a lot to take in, in which I suggest first-timers give this place 30 minutes to an hour to thoroughly look through everything Bulk Candy Store has to offer.
From what I thoroughly observed on my initial visit, here is what was readily available, starting with the front room (room you enter in).
1. Bulk bags of pre-packaged candy. Different brands and mixed bags are ready to be bought on a number of island shelves.
2. A bakery case featuring chocolate confectionaries and baked dessert goods. This includes gourmet Oreos, peanut butter cups, rice crispy treats, and a number of flavored fudge.
3. Cold, quick-serve fridge featuring specialty drinks. I bought the Duff "beer," the one you see Homer Simpson drink a lot in The Simpsons.
4. A section of mix-and-match candies that are priced by the pound. There is also a wall featuring candy-themed t-shirts for sale.
5. The back wall features over 50 flavors of artisan popcorn in large, bakery containers. The flavors are divided between sweet and savory, but also have a "specialty" selection, too. I also got to try their freeze dried candies in this area too.
6. Back room features kosher gummies, sugar free candies, and giant-sized candies (imagine the huge gummy bear in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory). There is also a wall featuring Pez, which includes candies and dispensers.
7. Finally, there is a desk in which the staff can gift wrap your purchases for birthdays or other special events.
Overall, my initial visit was amazing given the fact I spent over $60 on popcorn alone, and that was only 14 flavors of the "more than 50" I counted.
The staff was friendly, even though they missed one digit taking down my cell phone number inquiring a callback for the Candy Tour. The setup was easy to navigate.
Finally, what was offered was reasonably priced. It also helps that given the fact I live up in the Space Coast (where the shuttles launch), I can't just drive down on a whim for a popcorn flavor fix. That's three hours round trip! Ergo, thankful they have an official website in which you can buy their wares online, and they'll ship it to you. You'll just have to pay a little extra for shipping and handling, which I do not mind.
I really want to give Bulk Candy Store a perfect score, but everyone knows my fifth star is for consistency. I know at times I will return, so if Bulk Candy Store is just as amazing then as they were on my initial visit, they'll deserve their fifth star.