The Livingston Sweet Shoppe literally captures the feeling of being a kid in a candy shop, combining the timeless thrills of browsing colorfully-sweet candy and rich chocolates next to creative varieties of popcorn made in-house. We can’t forget their host of interesting ice cream selections either.
Co-owners Patricia Williams and Cindy Hannon try to stock a variety of candies from classics like Big Chunk bars to novelty edible mustaches. Hannon said the item that really turns heads is the selection of gummies formed to look like real foods. Hannon said they try to keep a four-inch pizza and a gummy facsimile of a sushi tray in stock at all times.
“They are great for parties,” Hannon said. “Kids seem to really like them, it’s just a cool thing to play around with and share.”
Currently customers can add gummy fried eggs to their bags or pick up a gummy burger if they aren’t in the market for pizza and sushi.
The store keeps eight flavors of ice scream in stock at a time from LuVel, located just up the road in Kosciusko. The shop opts for classics like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry and recently have added coffee to their stable while rotating the other selections between a variety of interesting options as they become available.
Ice cream can be scooped into a variety of gourmet ice cream cones made in Pennsylvania by the Cone Guys. Cones include chocolate chip cookie and M&M.
“Right now I have been enjoying a scoop of praline pecan in a pretzel cone,” Williams said. “That contrast of salty and sweet is just ridiculously good.”
They also provide a variety of malts, shakes and floats using there extensive line of retro sodas. Try their signature shake, the Dirty Cow, a delectable selection liberally decorated with chocolate and caramel drizzle with a shot of cold drip coffee mixed in.
If you want to give your sweet tooth a break, the Livingston Sweet Shoppe also offers specialty popcorn made in-house. At any given time they try to maintain about four different flavors bagged and ready to go. They have classics like caramel and cheddar popcorn to the more unusual dill pickle, pizza and bacon flavors.
“That dill pickle is really popular. We try to change it up. It mostly just depends on whoever was popping that day and what they felt like making,” Hannon said.
At Livingston Sweet Shoppe there is something for everyone.
“I really think we have something to offer for everyone. The left side is the kid’s side with all the colorful candies and things and then on the right we have all of our gourmet chocolates. I think people enjoy being able to come in and look around,” Hannon said.
The Livingston Sweet Shoppe is located at 1150 Old Cedars Lane in Flora at the Township of Livingston. They open at 12 p.m. and stay open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. They are closed on Mondays.
