A huge pair of red lips, like a wreath painted on the door, beckons you into a mini-verse of candies, toys, novelties, and ice-creams. More than a candy and ice cream shop, Candy Kitchen (13711 Gulf Blvd.) doses you with nostalgia, so much so that this charming little shop, awnings banded in red and white like candy canes, doesn’t just feel like stepping back in time, but in ways is stepping back in time.

One of few original structures on Madeira Beach, Candy Kitchen retains its original building from 1950. Inside, an enormous collection of 1,200 Pez dispensers color the walls, along with classic toys and games, like Slinky Dog, Simon, cap guns, Chinese Yo-Yos, and everyone’s favorite clown (I kid), Bozo, among many more. The bathroom is decked out with candy boxes from the ages. And if you can reach high enough, Candy Kitchen welcomes patrons to sign their names on the 15’ walls. So even if your diet precludes a sweet treat, the aesthetics alone warrant a visit.

Candies from your childhood

Of the three locations, Candy Kitchen’s flagship and largest location is on Madeira Beach, and they’ve been delighting customers since 1950. Besides the homemade ice cream, the owner, Matthew Giordano, states, “Most come to us for the nostalgic candies. Everything from Abba-Zaba to Zagnuts. We carry over 500 [kinds of nostalgia candies].”

Even the soda bottles at Candy Kitchen are classic and period-specific. “As far as the sodas go, we try to carry ones made with real sugar. To be true to original taste. We are as much a museum as we are a candy shop. When we find something is going to be discontinued or changed dramatically, we try to keep our last one.”

Candy Kitchen’s history is more like folk-lore

Purportedly, Candy Kitchen’s original owner, Kurt Johnson, drove around a small red van, like a clown car, which later resided on the roof (I’ve seen the pictures) once he no longer used it. There it sat, a little red van, crowning Johnson’s achievement, until a storm in the 80s wiped it clean off the roof. “The history [of Candy Kitchen] is more of a lore than anything…” says Matthew.

Matthew tells me his favorite incident. A WW2 veteran and snowbird would frequent the shop, bringing in gifts from Chicago. Even going so far as bringing a slice of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza down and presenting it like a wonder. In exchange, Matthew gifted the veteran Candy Kitchen merchandise, hat, shirt, mug. Upon his death, the veteran’s son informed Matthew that his father was buried in his customary military dress. But underneath the neat, cleanly pressed folds, the veteran was wearing the Candy Kitchen shirt.

To be buried in Candy Kitchen merch, worn under your military dress… “If that story doesn’t tell you how important this place is to some people, I don’t know what will,” says Matthew. It does make sense, though, Candy Kitchen is a memento of happiness. Who wouldn’t want to take that with them?

Candy Kitchen is a must-visit gem that will undoubtedly stir some nostalgia in the old and become nostalgia for the young. Check out Candy Kitchen on Instagram. Or: Peruse their extensive, alphabetical catalog of treats here. Note: some items are only available at certain locations.