Viral Toronto 'candy empire' just opened a permanent location
A candy business that's been building an empire online for years has finally opened a brick-and-mortar storefront in Toronto.
Though the inexplicable exotic candy store boom of the early 2020s has largely subsided, having a major sweet tooth is no passing fad. And those who truly don't play when it comes to their sugar consumption (that is to say, about maximizing their sugar intake) know that Willy Wacky Sweets is one of Canada's preeminent vendors offering international and rare sweets and snacks.
Boasting a whopping 360,000 followers on Instagram, the importer offers up everything from Japanese KitKats to limited-edition flavoured sodas and chips from all over the globe.
Since its founding, Willy's has operated on an online and wholesale basis, but now the retailer is making the old-school candy shop cool again by opening a permanent location in the heart of Toronto's Harbord Village neighbourhood.
Taking over the space that previously housed Good For Her, the city's oldest sex shop, Willy's Candy Shop is servicing a different sort of vice: one for which no protection is needed, and the only baby that could come out of it is of the food variety.
Stocked with bulk bins full of loose candy that'll immediately awaken your inner child, as well as the selection of rare, exotic, and international snacks that Willy's has built its name on, it's a shoo-in to become one of the most popular businesses on the street, particularly among students of Central Tech right across the street.
The shop already appears to have gotten some celebrity attention during its short time in business. According to a video posted to the Willy Wacky Snacks Facebook page, K-pop group BTS swung by unannounced to shoot some TikToks while in town for their shows on Aug. 22 and 23.
@tete Turronnoooo~
♬ 오리지널 사운드 - V
Indeed, Willy's mural found itself as the centrepiece of a TikTok posted by BTS member Kim Tae-hyung (V) on Aug. 24. It's just another stop on the group's apparent Toronto food tour, and undoubtedly the sweetest one of all.
Willy's Candy Shop is located at 175 Harbord St.
Willy's Candy Shop
