Sugar
1 of 2
Photo by Olivia Burton.
Sugar 2014
Store owner Sarah Franklin Johnson wants Sugar to be a place where both kids and adults can feel at home and happy.
2 of 2
Photo by Olivia Burton.
Sugar 2014
Sugar in Crestline Village.
Have you ever wondered what “sea breeze” or “rock & roll” tastes like?
Sugar in Crestline Village unveils the mystery with its more than 70 options of snow cone flavors. There are classics such as strawberry or lime, or surprises of pink champagne or toasted coconut. The adventurous might try “dinosaur” or “tsunami.”
Buckets of candy line Sugar’s walls like library books on a shelf. The bright reds, blues, greens and yellows of butterfly gummies and gumballs will catch your eye as you fill your bag with a rainbow of jellybeans.
Sugar is every kid’s dream.
When Sarah Franklin Johnson opened the business with friend and partner Babs Anderson about four years ago, she envisioned a place where both kids and adults could feel at home and happy.
“There’s never a sad or bad day at a candy shop,” she said.
Johnson taught special education for more than seven years and then worked in sales before opening Sugar, but she had always been interested in owning a candy store. She found inspiration in Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York City as well as in the Sugar Shak at Rosemary Beach, Fla.
Today, Johnson enjoys getting to know the children and adults who frequent Sugar.
On any given school day, students pack into the local candy store for shaved ice, sour belts, “all-day” pops and chocolates.
“I’ve watched them grow up already just over the past four years,” she said.
Sugar boasts a diverse inventory of candies and chocolates that changes with the seasons. Unsure what to buy when she first opened the shop, Johnson simply started by purchasing the candy she liked.
“Now that I’m years into it, I’ve kind of figured out what sells and what kids like,” she said.
Johnson enjoys introducing new items to see customers’ responses. She has noticed that while the kids prefer sour gummies such as the popular sour belts, adults tend to prefer items that are a little less colorful and sugary.
“I have repeat adult customers who come for dark chocolate items, and that’s all they buy,” said Johnson, who has learned to keep specific items in stock for certain customers.
Like the kids, Johnson herself prefers gummies, but she loves the chocolate items Sugar sells as well.
Sugar is a popular birthday party destination for younger kids throughout the year. Partygoers eat shaved ice, decorate a cupcake with candy and do an activity such as a candy necklace or a holiday craft.
The candy store also offers macaroons and candy tables for weddings and other events. Sugar’s giant, three-foot party balloons are popular for gifts and parties.
It recently began hosting movie nights where parents can sign their kids up for candy and a movie and then enjoy a quiet dinner in Crestline Village.
“I feel like movie nights will be a big thing in the fall,” Johnson said.
Some of Sugar’s most popular gift items include camper packages, Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day buckets, stocking stuffers and birthday tackle boxes, which have compartments filled with different candies. Its Comfort Colors T-shirts and spirit jerseys were hit items this summer as well.
Johnson said that when it comes to candy, crafts and gifts, “the sky’s the limit.”
