Founder/owner Christopher J. Beers says shoppers should prepare to be overwhelmed when they step into a Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop location, as every store is packed from floor to ceiling with nostalgic goodies. Explore Lehigh Valley locations in Emmaus and Bethlehem.
Tell us about your journey of founding Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop. What inspired you to start?
I was working in Pittsburgh and we had two candy stores: one sold only in bulk, had gates on the windows and large cigarette advertisements; the other a fancy chocolate place that yelled at customers for taking photos and always implied to know more about chocolate than you did. I thought a candy store was supposed to be fun and entertaining—customers should be discovering new items they've never seen before.
Sixteen store locations later, what are you most proud of when you look back now?
I'm most proud of my perseverance and the support from my wife and team. I didn't have a business plan, any financial help or even a personal savings account. I quit my pretty successful restaurant career to open my shop because I knew my idea could work. I wasn't ready for the dreaded January–February slow retail season. I wasn't ready for the constant need to purchase more inventory. Each and every step of starting the business and growing the business has been something I've had to learn.
Tell us about your desire to open stores in small downtown communities rather than at typical chain store locations.
By being in small downtown locations, we really become part of the community. We build loyalty with the residents and we add value to the other downtown businesses. We're a destination retail experience and find that our customers drive on average 35 minutes to visit our store. We find a way to say yes to every donation request and our management team is committed to participating in community events. If we opened our shop in a strip mall or a typical chain store location, we wouldn't have that same community support. Reading online feedback or hearing in-store “we love Grandpa Joe's” might be one of the most rewarding parts of creating this business.
Grandpa Joe's is known for its $5 candy buffet. For those unfamiliar, tell us how that works!
I invented our “World Famous $5 Candy Buffet” because I didn't want to be one of those expensive mall candy stores where they charged customers by the pound. We have an entire wall of bulk candy bins that are filled with wrapped and unwrapped candy that allows our customer to fill one of our Candy Buffet boxes with any of those items. We encourage them to stack strategically to fit as much candy in that box as possible—and it's only $5. There is just one rule: the lid needs to close. On average, customers fit 1–1.5 pounds of candy in every box!
Tell us about your nostalgic candy offerings!
Nostalgic candy is our number one category, from Necco wafers, Beeman's gum and Clark Bars to Goldenberg's Peanut Chews and the Reggie Bar. Typically, hard-to-find nostalgic candy is manufactured by small regional companies who don't have the ability to manufacture enough product for national distribution. We work closely with those manufacturers to understand their availability and timing of when certain items will be produced.
How about the international products?
International candy has become increasing popular because of TikTok and social media, but many customers seek out the international candy because it offers better quality ingredients or healthier options. We have Milka chocolate bars, Lay's potato chips from Thailand, Skittles from China, Violet Crumble from Australia and chocolates from the U.K.
What is an item that continuously flies off the shelf?
Japanese KitKats always fly off our shelves. They offer flavors we don't have here in the U.S. and the assortment is always changing.
What is something that readers might be surprised to learn that you offer?
I think it's our collection of novelty gifts. From funny socks, kitchen towels and coasters to planters, magnets, and tiny finger hands, our gift selection can easily solve the problem of finding something for that person who's hard to shop for. I want customers to escape the hustle and bustle of the world and explore our store. We love hearing couples or friends come in and just laugh out loud as they walk through our store.
304 Main St., Emmaus | 484.519.1651 | 462 Main St., Bethlehem | 484.635.1957 | grandpajoescandyshop.com
Published as “Get the Goods” in the June 2024 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
