A Taste of Childhood, And Your Sugar Fix, Too
The Candy Box's red-and-white pole is an old-timey hint of the flashback you'll have inside.
(By Ellen Mccarthy -- The Washington Post)
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Peppermint sticks. Candy buttons. Swedish fish of every color. Gumdrops galore.
Remember Satellite Wafers?
No? Well, they were probably before your time.
But how 'bout those politically incorrect candy cigarettes?
"People come in and buy 'em by the box," says Shari Rupert, who, with her boyfriend, Ryan Hardy, bought Catonsville's historic Candy Box in October.
Rupert, 28, used to come to the store as a kid, especially during summer when its famous Snow Balls (called Snow Cones elsewhere in the world) were the main attraction. When the shop came up for sale, the pair pounced.
With its red-and-white pole out front and jingling bell announcing each visitor, the Candy Box creaks of different times. And it has stood through a lot of them: Rupert keeps a framed photo of the store from 1905, when it sold livestock feed. After that it was a country store, then a gas station.
Now it trades in creamy chocolates, caramels and nut clusters shipped from Philadelphia. Plus those jars of penny candies that aren't quite a penny anymore: Candy necklaces go for 20 cents; Pixy Stix are 3 cents; wax bottles will set you back 8 cents each.
The Snow Balls that Rupert remembered are still a top seller. The previous owner even trademarked a concoction called the Snow Ball Parfait (shaved ice, ice cream, shaved ice, etc.) that was included with the sale of the store. The chocolate Snow Ball Parfait is the biggest hit, but Rupert recommends the egg custard flavor. "I guarantee nobody who tries it won't like it."
Customers come from all over, but her favorites are the kids from the pool up the street. Wet hair, flip-flops, towels tied around their bottoms.
"They come in with a dollar to get their little candy," Rupert says. "There's so much for them to decide, so they're looking at it for 10, 15 minutes before they choose."
The Candy Box 1610 Frederick Rd., Catonsville, Md. 410-747-5291. Open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Or try Mary's Cakery & Candy Kitchen 10305 Indiantown Rd., King George, Va. 540-775-9350. www.maryscakeryandcandy.com. Open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
