BonBon proves that candy stores aren’t just for kids.

The viral Swedish candy shop, which opened its first location in 2018 just a 12-minute walk away from NYU’s Broome Street residence hall, is a whirlwind of lively colors and exciting varieties of sweets. Customers can grab a bright pink bag and a candy scooper to mix and match, choosing from classics like Swedish fish and BUBS candy to specialty products like pear-flavored green jellies.

In Sweden, many children spend their Saturdays going to pick-and-mix candy stores to fill their bags, a tradition called lördagsgodis. BonBon founders Robert Persson, Selim Adira and Leonard Schaltz — all of whom immigrated to the United States from Sweden — aim to bring a taste of that childhood magic to the states.

“It is a nostalgic experience that we all hold very dear,” Schaltz said in an interview with WSN. “It is kind of the one thing that you miss from Sweden.”

Following its more recent TikTok fame, BonBon made headlines for drawing lines out the door until late hours of the night, complete with its own bouncer at the entrance. Like other candy shops such as lil sweet treat in the West Village, BonBon is part of New York City’s growing trend of Instagrammable candy stores. However, the store has been making a name for itself long before its rise to internet stardom. After its initial opening, BonBon opened three more locations throughout New York City — one in the Upper East Side and two in Brooklyn.

For Schaltz, BonBon’s years of success, even prior to going viral, are a testament to the quality of the shop’s products compared to your average American candies.

“The textures are different, the flavors are more intense,” Schaltz said. 

Many of BonBon’s candies are gluten-free or gelatin-free, and are made with natural color additives — unlike many popular American candies. The shop’s candy selection is imported from Sweden, and while BonBon sells products from a wide range of Swedish brands, the store also makes a few from their own factory including sweet and sour fish candy and Salty Licorice Twists. The fish candy comes in five different flavors — Sour Peach, Sour Blackberry, Sour Wild Strawberry, Sweet Wild Strawberry and Sour Elderflower.  

“We wanted [the Swedish fish] to strike a balance between Swedish but also kind of approachable to the American market,” Schaltz said.

One standout among BonBon’s collection includes the Fruity Frutti, a raspberry or mango-orange flavored fluffy candy that comprises a marshmallow layer and a smooth gummy filled with tart fruit jelly. The store’s Marshmallow Mushrooms are also a unique option — they are so airy that they will melt in your mouth and feature a delicious strawberry vanilla cream flavor.

“We’ve been telling this story of Swedish candy in this very nostalgic way for a very long time,” Schaltz said. “I feel like we are the originators, if you will, of capturing the story of having candy as a kid.” 

Contact Christobelle Rudes at [email protected].