Sweet Candy Café

What Sweet Candy Café does

Sweet Candy Café is a privately held, Black- and woman-owned novelty confectionery retailer founded in 2012 by Felicia Evans Long and the late Tim Long. The company operates a single physical storefront at 212 North Chestnut Street in Historic Downtown Lumberton, North Carolina, inside the Dick Taylor Plaza, offering over 92 varieties of "old school" and "new school" candy alongside fresh popcorn, warm mixed nuts, and fudge. The business survived a downtown fire in October 2012 and has since endured multiple hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining an active community-engagement program anchored by the Timothy R. Long Memorial Scholarship.

The company's revenue mechanics span three streams: in-store retail candy sales at the Lumberton flagship, nationwide e-commerce shipping via sweetcandycafe.com, and event catering through the proprietary Signature Candy Parlor™ service, which provides old-fashioned apothecary-jar candy buffets for weddings, corporate events, sorority and fraternity functions, and similar occasions. Product pricing is unit-based ($0.29 to $24.99 per item), with select SKUs sold by weight at roughly $2.99 to $6.95 per quarter-pound; eGift Cards are offered in $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200 denominations. Distribution combines the physical storefront, a Wix-hosted online shop with national shipping, and direct event sales, with social-media-driven customer acquisition (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, X) and earned media (SIRIUS XM, Our State Magazine, American Express Neighborhood Champion awards).

The business has no proprietary technology, no external venture or private-equity funding, and a small disclosed team; capital support to date has come only from City of Lumberton restoration grants (2013, 2015) and an MC/Manufacturing Confectionery educational grant (2015). The founder's broader ecosystem includes sister companies Sweet Events and Planning, LLC (founded 2008) and Lavish Lux Hair Salon (opened 2019), positioning Sweet Candy Café as the anchor of a small, locally rooted multi-business portfolio rather than a scaling retail chain.

Name

Sweet Candy Café

Legal name

Sweet Candy Café

Website

https://sweetcandycafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sweet Candy Café is a privately held, Black- and woman-owned novelty candy retailer in Historic Downtown Lumberton, North Carolina, founded in 2012 by Felicia Evans Long. It sells 92+ candy varieties plus fudge, popcorn, and nuts in-store, online nationwide, and through the Signature Candy Parlor™ event-catering service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Confectionery Retail

NAICS

Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Retailers (459420)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Candy & Specialty Sweets Stores (THAFAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Greeting Cards, Wrap & Party Supplies Retail (CRALAJAE)

Keywords

• Specialty candy retail
• Confectionery e-commerce
• Event candy buffets
• Nostalgic confectionery
• Gourmet candy shop

Headquarters

HQ city

Lumberton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Candy Sales: In-store sales of candy, fudge, popcorn, and mixed nuts to consumers visiting the Historic Downtown Lumberton location.
2. Online Candy Store: E-commerce sales through their website, with nationwide shipping of confectionery products.
3. Gift Cards: Sale of eGift Cards in denominations of $25, $50, $100, $150, and $200.
4. Signature Candy Parlor™: Candy buffet service for events including weddings, parties, corporate events, and special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sweet Candy Café is a novelty confectionery candy retailer offering 92+ varieties of old-school and new-school candy, plus fresh popcorn, warm mixed nuts, and fudge, sold through a single physical store in Historic Downtown Lumberton, NC and a nationwide-shipping e-commerce site. Its Signature Candy Parlor™ provides branded candy-buffet catering for weddings, parties, and corporate events using old-fashioned apothecary jars. eGift Cards in fixed $25-$200 denominations are also sold for in-store and online redemption.

Product overview

Sweet Candy Café is a novelty confectionery candy store operating as both a physical retail location in Historic Downtown Lumberton, North Carolina, and an online e-commerce store with nationwide shipping. The core product offering consists of over 92 varieties of candy including gummies, hard candy, chocolate, gum, lollipops, nuts, and taffy, complemented by fresh popcorn, warm mixed nuts, and fudge. The Signature Candy Parlor™ is a signature service offering featuring candy buffets with old-fashioned Apothecary jars for events like weddings, parties, and corporate functions. The company also sells eGift Cards in denominations from $25 to $200. Their sister company, Sweet Events and Planning, LLC, provides broader event planning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Signature Candy Parlor™: A signature candy buffet service for events featuring old-fashioned apothecary jars and various treats, available for customers planning events

Products and services

• Signature Candy Parlor™

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 92 different flavors of candy offered
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SIRIUS XMminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2023Provided confectionery treats to Heather B and Sway in the Morning shows on SIRIUS-XM.
• Chick-fil-AminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 November 2022Local Chick-fil-A made a generous donation to the 10th Anniversary celebration party.
• WAGR 1340AMminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 December 2021Radio interview on WAGR 1340AM to share about the store's 9th storefront anniversary.
• FOXY 99.1minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2020Radio spotlight on FOXY 99.1 radio station during the 8th anniversary celebration.
• Coca-ColaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2017Coca-Cola donated beverages for the 5th Anniversary Celebration event at Sweet Candy Café.
• WalmartminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2016Sweet Candy Café partnered with Walmart and Zollipops® to provide back-to-school supplies, distributing 200 bags of school supplies for kids ages 7-12 in August 2016.
• Zollipops®minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 August 2016Partnered with Sweet Candy Café and Walmart to provide back-to-school supplies for children.
• Vonta Leach FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2013Sweet Candy Café participated in the 2013 Vonta Leach Youth Football & Cheer Camp at Lumberton High School, donating candy treat bags for over 500 participating 6-16 year-old students.
• National Confectioners AssociationminorOthersMember of the National Confectioners Association, the official trade association for the confectionery industry.
• Lumberton Chamber of CommerceminorOthersActive member of the Lumberton Chamber of Commerce and Board of Directors Member for Historic Downtown Lumberton, NC.
• Dick TaylorcoreOthersBuilding owner who helped rebuild the store after an October 2012 fire destroyed the original location at 310 N. Elm Street. Supported the transition to the new space at 212 North Chestnut Street.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.minorOthersOwner Felicia Evans Long is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Candylicious: Specialty candy retail concept with flagship locations offering bulk candy walls, novelty items, and tourist-oriented experiential candy shopping. Comparable assortment mix and tourist-driven foot traffic to Sweet Candy Café's I-95 location.
• Sugarfina: Premium adult-oriented candy retailer known for curated assortments, gift packaging, and event/corporate gifting. Comparable DTC-first model with a strong gifting and event angle similar to Sweet Candy Café's Signature Candy Parlor™.
• Savannah's Candy Kitchen: Historic Southern candy store in Savannah, GA selling pralines, fudge, and old-fashioned candies through retail storefronts and nationwide online shipping. Comparable heritage positioning, tourist customer base, and online DTC model.
• River Street Sweets: Southern nostalgic candy and praline retailer based in Savannah, GA with multiple locations and nationwide online shipping. Closest geographic and assortment match to Sweet Candy Café — old-fashioned candies, fudge, and gift-oriented confectionery sold to both locals and tourists.
• Schimpff's Confectionery: Historic fourth-generation candy store in Jeffersonville, IN combining retail, candy-making demonstrations, and online shipping of nostalgic confections. Comparable heritage single-storefront model with on-site experience and nationwide mail order.
• Sweet Shop USA: Online specialty candy retailer offering nostalgic and bulk candy assortments with nationwide shipping. Closest pure-play e-commerce analog of Sweet Candy Café's online store assortment.

Broad incumbents

• Dylan's Candy Bar: Iconic premium candy retail chain founded by Dylan Lauren. Same novelty/specialty candy store concept with curated assortments, gift offerings, and event candy buffets, but operates at much larger scale across multiple U.S. locations and online.
• IT'SUGAR: Large U.S. specialty candy and novelty retail chain. Directly comparable assortment of bulk and novelty candy, branded gifts, and in-store experiential merchandising, with nationwide physical footprint and e-commerce.
• See's Candies: Long-standing West Coast-based chocolate and candy retailer with hundreds of shops and nationwide online/gift shipping. Provides the established-incumbent benchmark for confectionery gifting at scale, relevant for assessing Sweet Candy Café's growth ceiling.

Emerging players

• Lolli & Pops: Premium curated candy boutique chain operating smaller-footprint retail stores with an experiential, gift-driven assortment. Comparable product curation and gift-card-led model, though concentrated in higher-end malls versus Sweet Candy Café's historic downtown tourist positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sweetevents1
• Facebookfacebook.com/SweetCandyCafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/sweetcandync
• Pinterestpinterest.com/sweetcandycafen
• TikToktiktok.com/@sweetcandycafe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sweet Candy Café