One wall of Lil Sweet Treat features many of the global candy brands.
Nestled between Brandy Melville and Warby Parker on 15th & Walnut stands Lil Sweet Treat, a viral candy shop known as the “ultimate destination for candy connoisseurs.”
Lil Sweet Treat opened its doors on June 15, officially launching the brand's fifth store among other locations in New York City and Boston.
“For our grand opening, it was very busy throughout the day,” said Joshua Green, one of the workers at the Philadelphia location.
Founded by Elly Ross, Lil Sweet Treat has capitalized on the current obsession with Swedish Candy, a type of gummy candy well known for fun shapes, vibrant colors, and unique tastes. Some variations of Swedish Candy are more sour and chewy, while others have the consistency of fluffy marshmallows. Bubs, Skulls, and Ovals are some of the most popular kinds.
Swedish Candy went viral among American social media users in early 2024, mostly from the New York-based brand BonBon. It used to be somewhat of an exclusive market, with relatively expensive shipping costs for the candy. But, Lil Sweet Treat has helped bring the mouth-watering dessert to the Philadelphia area.
Fans were eager for a Philadelphia location, as seen by the comments in an Instagram post from Rittenhouse Ramblings published three weeks before the shop's opening.
Inside the store, clear acrylic boxes filled with foreign candy line the walls. From the Netherlands’ “Happy Flowers” to Sweden's “Dizzy Bubblegum Skulls,” each container displays a label with the candy’s country of origin, flavor, dietary notes, and a rating from 1-10 (1 being sweet and 10 being sour).
The yellow brick store is crisply white inside, with the brightly colored candy and sweet-themed posters providing colorful accents to the walls. Customers can grab a red scoop and fill a light pink plastic bag with the candy combination of their dreams for $4.85 per quarter pound.
The station to create candy bags The brand appears to have taken inspiration from social media trends, likely because the company’s quick rise stems from immense Internet traction. Ross, the founder, has more than 35,000 followers on TikTok, where she documented the launch of the business and continues to advertise TikTok’s favorite sweet.
Popular artists featured on TikTok like Gracie Abrams and Benson Boone dominated the store’s playlist, and even the name, Lil Sweet Treat, is derived from the viral TikTok slang of calling a dessert a “sweet treat.”
The store’s sales associates also acknowledged how impactful social media is for drawing in customers. Trinity Philpot, a register worker, said, “Most people are coming in from Instagram and TikTok.”
Danielle Geis and Madison Spigner perused the store a little before noon, picking up Triple Layer Belgium Hearts and Swedish Strawberry Sugar Cubes. Geis, 25, said she discovered the store on TikTok and was excited to finally have a Swedish Candy shop in the area.
“It’s all very cute,” said Geis. “Everything is very presentable, and I think it will make a great gift because it’s small and easy to get.”
Though Spigner, 29, is not the biggest candy fan, she said she likes how customers can see all the information for each candy, especially the sweet vs sour scale. “I’m definitely gonna come back on Friday and get a gift for my Dad,” said Spigner.
Previously only seen through brand partnerships with the likes of Spotify, Netflix, J. Crew, Cosmopolitan, and Pinterest, now Philadelphians have the viral candy right at their fingertips. It looks like Philadelphia dentists are about to be booked and busy for the foreseeable future.
