The often - sold - out confect shop ship over 1,000 orders a day and has been going viral on TikTok for the last few month , so it ’s meter to see out if it ’s actually worth it .
Even if you’re not big on FoodTok, or more specifically, CandyTok, I’m sure at this point you’ve heard of BonBon: the Swedish candy store that’s gone mega-viral over the last few months. The aesthetically pleasing pink bags and candy-munching reviews have undoubtedly taken over my For You page as of late. When I spotted the classic pink bag at my friend’s place IRL and discovered she’s a loyal BonBon customer, I decided it was finally time to jump on the trend.
BonBon came on the scene in2018after opening its first location in the Lower East Side ofNew YorkCity. Since then, they’ve opened three more NYC brick-and-mortar locations in the Upper East Side, Williamsburg, and their newest at their warehouse in Red Hook. Not to mention their booming e-commerce platform and delivery through third-party apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash.
So, what the heck is Swedish candy? How is it different? And why are we all obsessed with it? It turns out these sweet treats are a little different than your standard gummy worm. Leo Schaltz, one of BonBon’s co-founders, toldTodaythat “Swedish candy is a quality product, gluten-free, vegan, better-tasting,” and described the candy as “upscale” but “affordable.” Thecandytends to be free from artificial colors and flavors, subs gelatin for cornstarch to get that signature “foamy” texture and opts for sugar over corn syrup.
Schaltz points out that the TikTok algorithm has definitely worked in BonBon’s favor. They’ve seen online sales go from around 50 to 1,000 a day, and it’s not unusual for the lines to wrap around the block at their brick-and-mortar locations. It’s not surprising, considering BonBon’s hashtag has over three billion views. From creators like@hallielooyaa, who ceremoniously dump their candy bags onto a plate, to celebs likeShay Mitchell, who give a quick review in their cars — everyone seems wildly fascinated with Swedish candy, myself included.
With all that Swedish candy info locked in my brain, off I went to try it for myself and find out if the lines and price were truly worth it. I chose to go to BonBon’s Lower East Side location because 1) I thought it’d be cool to see where it all started, and 2) honestly, it’s the closest one to me, and I’m a little lazy. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but in true New York fashion, the shop was VERY tiny and tucked away. I genuinely almost missed it.
For my first visit (yes, there was more than one, but we’ll get into that later), I went around 11 a.m. on a rainy Thursday morning, and there was literally only one person in there. I was stunned. My feed had me convinced I’d be greeted with massive lines and would need to fight my way to the internet’s favorite sour Bubs, so the emptiness was a pleasant surprise.
Now, let’s chat about the store’s layout. First of all, I loved the look of it right off the bat. The whole concept of BonBon is inspired by Swedish children’s tradition of after-school candy, but the store itself felt a little more catered to adults, with a cleaner yet playfulaesthetic.
When you first walk in, there’s a small circular table with hand sanitizer, scoops, and the signature pink paper bag. Maybe it’s supposed to be self-explanatory, but as a first-timer, I wasn’t too sure what the protocol was. A quick set of instructions would probably go a long way here since, on my second visit, I saw others hesitating over this little section.
Lo and behold, I figured it out: you sanitize your hands, grab a scoop and a bag, and start scooping up whatever candy your heart desires. In hindsight, this seems obvious, but I didn’t want to mess up, okay? My boyfriend later informed me that “every candy store in Europe” uses this grab-a-bag system. That’s when it occurred to me that I’ve never actually been in a self-serve candy store before — they’re just not as much of a thing in the US (100% speaking for myself and where I live; maybe your town is full of candy stores).
After you get your bag, you’ll notice the store is split into three sections. There’s the gummy and marshmallow section (the largest one):
The licorice section (with some fun hats on display that I had to use a lot of self-control not to buy):
And, lastly, the chocolate section, which was a bit more tucked away:
I regret to inform you all that I despise licorice and did not scoop from that section. Most of my time was spent around the sour and sweet gummies; more specifically, I was after the Bubs — those foamy ovals and skulls I kept seeing everyone bite into.
I was admittedly having a little too much fun at this point, and before I could even make it over to the chocolate section, I realized my bag was already half full. It’s hard to resist the urge not to get every single piece of colorful candy. As I was nearing the end of the gummy section, a group of four walked in, followed by another couple. Even though the store was still less crowded than I expected, it was easy to feel a little claustrophobic in the tight space with a few more people.
To step away from the crowds, I headed to the empty, less “viral” chocolate section. As I mentioned, I was a little scared about the weight of my bag and only grabbed three types of chocolate, which I regret a bit. And, unlike the gummies, I hadn’t really studied up on the chocolates, so my selection was a bit more random.
Finally, it was time to pay. BonBon, like most self-serve candy stores, uses a pay-by-weight system. Once you walk up to the counter, an employee (or “candy sommelier,” as BonBon refers to them) will weigh your bag to determine the damage. I’ve seen people spend upwards of $40 on a bag of candy, so I silently panicked as I brought my bag to the counter to be weighed. In the end, I spent about $25. Which, while expensive for candy, was not as bad as I thought it’d be.
Regardless, I was excited to dive into my little bag. So I did the quintessential plate pour and dug right in. Here’s everything I got (chocolate not pictured here because I put it in a separate bag so it wouldn’t melt):
1. Oval Bubs
2. Sweet Hearts
3. Fruit Pacifiers
4. Swedish Fish
5. Fruit Snakes
6. Berry Bites
7. Banana Marshmallow
8. Strawberry Marshmallow
1. Sour Skull Bubs
2. Foamy Pear Oval Bubs
3. Sour Soda Pops
4. Sour Swedish Fish
5. Fizzy Pops
1. Dumle
2. Rum Punch
3. Orange Slices
But my BonBon adventure doesn’t stop there. To get the full experience, I felt like I needed to go during peak hours during the weekend to get a feel for what the rush was like. Also, I really wanted more candy and was influenced by a group of people on the train who were excitedly chatting about also going to BonBon. So off I went, once again, to their Lower East Side location to meet a friend on a Sunday afternoon. Right away, I could spot the crowds. There were folks sitting all around the benches outside the store, and the small shop was packed to the brim.
There wasn’t really a line, just an employee ushering people in and out. My friend and I were able to go in right away, but before we could, I noticed the saddest sign on the door that read, “We are sold out of Bubs and Sculls! (We have lots of other good candy!)” I was devastated but still made my way in for the “other good candy.”
The crowded store was definitely a different experience. It’s only natural that everyone (including me) wants to linger in front of the bins to make the best sugar-infused decision about what’s going in their bags. But it’s really hard when you’re packed in like sardines. I will say, though, no one ever seemed in a rush or annoyed when someone was in their way, so maneuvering around wasn’tthatbad. After all, who’s going to be mad in a candy store?!
A few minutes and $11 later, I emerged with my second bag of the week. Almost all the candy I got the first time around was sold out, so at least this gave me the opportunity to try something new and spend my Sunday afternoon eating candy by the river.
I won’t put you through another taste test, but I’ll point out two candies that were a 10/10 in my eyes: the sour Rambos and the Peaches. The Rambos are these logs with a kind of cream filling, and the Peaches taste like the best peach ring you’ve ever had. Seriously, I can’t believe I missed these the first time around.
All in all, I would absolutely go to BonBon again, but more as a way to treat myself — as much as I want to, I can’t really afford to spend $30 on candy every day. If you’ve ever been to BonBon or are just a big fan of Swedish candy, I’d love to hear about your experience! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a sugar coma to recover from and a dentist to visit.
