Lovely & Local: Honey's Vintage Sweets
There's nothing more nostalgic than candy and walking into Honey's Vintage Sweets is like walking into your childhood. The shelves are lined with delightful sugary treats that take you back to your innocence. Back when my brother and I would stop to get Icee's and candy cigarettes (I still can't believe my mom would let us get candy cigarettes!) at CY Market after school. When we would spend all Halloween night filing pillow cases with candy and my favorite holiday was Easter because I got a basket full of PEZ Dispensers and Twizzlers.
There's something magical about Honey's ... as soon as you walk in you can't help but smile. No matter your age, this local candy shop is one sweet spot to spend an afternoon.
I sat down with Marianne DeMeyers, owner of Honey's Vintage Sweets to learn more about the adorable shop. StylingMyEveryday: Opening a candy store has always been a dream of mind (and named Honey's to boot!). How did it become a reality for you? Marianne DeMeyers:The idea came from a Halloween themed cooking/entertainment show I saw a few years back. It really made an impact when I saw that candy and sweets are truly and joyfully non-generational. They were showcasing a candy buffet for Halloween party and all the participants, young and old, were too giddy to answer questions. They just wanted to talk about and eat the candy. I love our community and have loved being a part and I knew that a candy and sweet shop would be a wonderful addition. From there, I just started creating and designing Honey's Vintage Sweets.
SME:Where does most of your merchandise come from? MD:We have to search out many of the items we carry but quite a bit of the mainstream candy comes from candy distributors. There is a Candy Trade Show in Chicago every year so we go there and talk to and meet with the smaller manufacturers and chocolatiers. That allows to also taste test the items so that we know we are offering the best, especially when it comes to chocolates. It is a terrible burden, but someone has to do it! :) SME:What local brands do you carry? MD:We carry Olive and Sinclair, Moosehead Kettle Corn, Goo Goo Clusters, "Apples Gone Wild" Gourmet Apples and Willa's Shortbread from Nashville. We also carry Moonpies and RC Cola which are our more famous Tennessee Products. We also carry Double Cola which originated from Tennessee.
SME:Your favorite candy? MD:Truthfully, my mother makes some of my favorite candy. She makes divinity better than anyone I know. She will be making it for the shop this fall. As for packaged candy, Bit O Honey for nostalgic, Pop Rocks are my favorite from my generation. I have learned to love sour gummies. My favorite are Sour Patch Cherry. I haven't ventured too far out there yet. SME:Most unusual candy in the store? MD:Haha. Well that depends are who you ask! If you ask a kid, they will tell you licorice. Or most anything with nuts in it. If you ask an adult, we have Jelly Belly Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean with flavors like booger, earthworm, earwax and rotten egg. As an adult, I do not understand this, but I don't have to. We sell these very well! SME:Best selling candy? Ice cream? MD:Some of best selling candies include Astro Pops (nostalgic), Candy Cig Sticks (nostalgic), Snickers Bar (believe it or not) and Icee Spray Candy. Anything sour like Toxic Waste or Cry Baby are also big sellers. One thing I can say for sure, is that once you have honed your candy preference, you are unlikely to change. People, even kids, are pretty particular about their selections.
SME:What signature baskets do you put together? (wedding favor baskets, local products, Easter baskets?) MD:We have several different baskets we create. We have a Music City basket with middle Tennessee products, presented in a basket made from a vinyl record. A nostalgic basket presented in a vintage soda carton, including a vintage soda and nostalgic candy. We do kids baskets for birthdays, birthday party favors, corporate baskets, welcome baskets for friends and real estate agencies and we work with local event planners for weddings and corporate events. Of course when a holiday rolls around, we are all giddy from designing Easter baskets, Christmas stocking stuffers and Halloween party favors. We try to make the process as fun and personal as you want. You can bring in your Easter baskets or stockings and we help you create the best selection. Or you can come in a choose from a Honey's pre-made selection. Everything is created in-house so you get something special and personal every time. Honey's Vintage Sweets honeysvintagesweets.com 123 S Margin St Franklin, TN 37064 (615) 472-1183
