Archive for May, 2021

Whoever said you shouldn’t play with your food has never seen these candy treats imported from Japan. We recently wrote about how creative Japanese candy makers are and highlighted some of our favorite candy from Japan. Today we’re going to share some sweets that are fun to play with and even more fun to eat!

Let’s start off with one that is taking social media by storm…

Kracie Popin Cookin Ramen Noodle Candy Set
This Japanese candy set allows you to “cook” up a whole meal! You start off with a mango “pudding,” then move on to making ramen toppings. But it doesn’t stop there! You then get to put your creativity to the test by making dumplings and a spring roll. But the fun begins when you start to make the ramen noodles. As the video shows below, this is a fun process and something that your whole family can be involved with.

Kracie Popin Cookin Sushi Candy Set
No Japanese meal would be complete without sushi and this is one sweet version! There’s nothing fishy about this sushi even tho you get to make tuna, salmon roe, and egg varieties. Just follow the instructions and in no time you’ll have delicious candy sushi that may be better than the real thing!

Kracie Popin Cookin Tanoshii Burger
Straight from Tokyo, Japan is… an American burger! Japan does have McDonald’s so it makes sense that one popular Japanese candy would be this American classic. This candy kit has everything you need to create a sweet (and fun) version of our favorite meal – a burger, fries, and a cola!

Kracie Popin Cookin Cake Dessert Set
What meal is complete without dessert? None that we can think of, so it’s time to whip some up! This Japanese candy kit allows you to make soft ice cream, a tarte, and a cake! Of course, all the instructions are included, it only takes a few minutes, and your creation will look almost too good to eat.

All of these candy kits are perfect family night. They’re inexpensive and so much fun that you’ll want to buy several and give each family member one of their own.

Imagine for just a moment… it’s a hot summer day, you’re at the ballpark watching your kid’s little league game and you get hungry for a snack. You head over to the concession stand and there’s a big sign that says “Ice Cream.” What do you do?

Get a scoop or two, of course!

After all, who can resist ice cream in the summer? Or any time of the year for that matter!

Concession stand operators know the secret to profits is adding food and snacks that fans are going to gobble up. Ice cream is not only a fan favorite but also a high-profit item.

If you’re considering adding ice cream to your concession stand or snack bar, you can either go with soft-serve or hard. Soft serve requires an initial investment in an ice cream machine, but it quickly pays for itself with sales. Hard ice cream requires a freezer (obviously) and has less maintenance than if you were operating a soft-serve machine.

Once you’ve weighed the pros and cons of soft vs hard ice cream, it’s time to start thinking about flavors. Of course, no ice cream stand is complete without the two most popular flavors – vanilla and chocolate. For soft-serve operators, you can go with those two and call it a day!

If you’re serving up hand-scooped ice cream, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, and chocolate chip cookie dough wrap up the top five most popular ice cream flavors, so consider adding those to your lineup.

Now that you’ve got your ice cream picked out, it’s time to think about how to increase your profit margin even more. The simplest way to do it is to sell ice cream treats such as sundaes and banana splits or offer toppings for an additional charge.

If you’re going to be offering items besides simple cones, be sure to stock up on ice cream boats and containers such as styrofoam squat cups and lids, or larger parfait cups.

Choosing the right toppings to offer is as important as choosing the right flavors of ice cream. The most popular ice cream toppings include peanut butter cups, cookie dough (we have birthday cake, chocolate chip, and chocolate covered cookie dough!), marshmallows like our delicious Marshmallow Charms, and of course sprinkles!

Giving your customers the opportunity to customize their ice cream treat with toppings not only increases customer satisfaction but by charging a little extra helps your concession stand’s profit margin rise.

Need help in deciding what to offer your fans this summer? We’ve been taking care of concession stand operators for decades, so contact us with any questions you may have. We’re here to help you have a very profitable season!

One of our favorite summertime snacks, and one we love to take to the ballpark, is sunflower seeds. These salty treats have long been associated with summer sports and one brand in particular – DAVID Seeds – is known as the “official brand of baseball and softball.”

Believe it or not, DAVID Sunflower Seeds were first introduced way back in 1926 inside a California grocery store. The roasted then seasoned seeds became such a hit that nearly a hundred years later they’re still as popular as ever.

DAVID Sunflower Seeds are American-grown and still made the old-fashioned way. While the original flavor is still the most popular, the line has evolved to include some tasty flavors that you may want to experience yourself. So let’s dive into the different flavors of summer’s favorite seed:

DAVID Original Flavor Sunflower Seeds
This is the one that started it all nearly a century ago. Roasted in the shell, these seeds have the salty taste you’re familiar with and are a staple item at concession stands and snack bars at ballparks. Even if you’re not at the ball game, grab a bag and take them along to work with you as a great afternoon snack.

DAVID BBQ Flavor Sunflower Seeds
Summer and bar-b-que go hand in hand so there’s no better pairing than DAVID sunflower seeds and the flavor of tangy BBQ seasoning. Whether you’re selling these at your snack bar or picking up a box or two for snacks during a cookout, you can’t go wrong!

DAVID Ranch Flavor Sunflower Seeds
We knew ranch dressing wasn’t meant just for salads when people started dipping slices of pizza and french fries in this creamy condiment. If you’re a ranch now is the time for you to sample something a bit different – ranch-flavored sunflower seeds! We’ll admit we were a bit skeptical at first, but we’re sold on this unique flavor on one of our favorite summer snacks.

Now that we have your mouth watering and your taste buds craving some of the delicious flavors of sunflower seeds, we bet you’re having a hard time deciding which one to buy. Have no fear, we can solve the dilemma! Instead of buying a whole box of one flavor, we also can mix and match the three different flavors so you can sample them all. Just click here to purchase individual bags of each.

If you’re looking to add DAVID Sunflower Seeds to your little league or sports team’s concession stand, be sure to check out our wholesale program for resellers, or contact us for more information.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing up around the country, this summer is shaping up to be one full of fun, surprises, and plenty of outdoor activities. There’s one activity we’re all looking forward to – neighborhood festivals and bazaars! These events usually kick off with a big parade to get everyone hyped up and in a festive mood.

If you’re planning a parade for your fire company, church, neighborhood association, or other organization, you already know that engaging spectators along the parade route is a must. The sweetest way to do it is to toss candy into the crowd.

Think about how exciting it was for you, as a child, to try to catch a piece of bubble gum or a Tootsie Roll as they were thrown from fire engines. Of course, you always sought out the Mayor as he was the one who handed out giant lollipops!

Candy and parades go hand-in-hand and this year everyone in the neighborhood is even more deserving of a sweet treat, so we’re highlighting some of our favorite parade candy that you can purchase in bulk to toss on your route.

Tootsie Frooties
Here’s a giant 4lb bag of everyone’s favorite chewy candy. Just how many Tootsies are there? How about more than 550! This bag contains an assortment of the most popular flavors which include green apple, strawberry, grape, pink lemonade, passion fruit, blue raspberry, fruit punch and lemon lime.

Sweetarts Twists
It doesn’t get any bigger than this! 30 whopping pounds of Sweetarts are in this mega box that is perfect for tossing at your parade. In fact, one of our customers reviewed this item and said, “We bought these for a parade. They worked great. Good quality. It is amazing how heavy 30lb of Sweetarts are.” Now you can’t go wrong with a review like that!

Jolly Rancher
Nobody can resist the delicious flavors of Jolly Rancher hard candies and they’re perfect for parades. This 5lb bag contains more than 375 pieces in an assortment of flavors that include watermelon, apple, cherry, grape, and blue raspberry.

Double Bubble Bubble Gum
No article about parade candy would be complete without talking about bubble gum. Our favorite for parades is Double Bubble and we have it in a big tub that contains 300 pieces of gum in the original Double Bubble flavor as well as watermelon, apple, and grape.

Now here’s a hint when it comes to selecting parade candy. Chocolate melts! You’re going to want to avoid tossing out miniature candy bars or any type of candy that can melt in the heat. While our huge candy warehouse is climate controlled, once orders leave our warehouse they are transported in non-airconditioned delivery trucks. Chocolate and the summer heat aren’t really the best of friends. So choose your parade candy wisely and feel free to contact us for suggestions and how we can make your parade a huge success!

Hey candy lovers, are you ready to embark on yet another adventure to check up on some different treats from around the world? We are! So today we’re going to take a trip to a country that brings us fun, unique, and downright tasty sweets – Japan.

It’s no secret that Japan is known for its creative spin on food and candy is no exception. Unique combinations, bright colors, and strong flavors are hallmarks of Japanese candy and many brands have a cult following here in the United States. Here are a few favorites that we stock in our candy warehouse:

Puchao Gummy Soft Candy
If you’re looking for one of the more unique Japanese candies, look no further than Puchao. Known as Japan’s favorite gummy candy, one bite and you’ll know why! Each one of these gummy candies hides a burst of fizz of flavor inside that create a taste explosion. For example, the Cola flavored Puchao features cola gummies inside the center of the gummy along with “fizzy tablets” that when combined make this candy taste just like you opened up a bottle of pop.

Kasugai Gummy Candy
Once you try these Japanese gummy candies you may not snack on any other. Yes, they are that good! Available in several flavors including mango, grape, apple, and more. Plus, they are all gluten-free and some contain real fruit juice. What makes them unique is that each one is individually wrapped and slightly larger than gummy candy we’re familiar with here in the United States.

Hi-Chew
From gummy, we move to chewy and there’s no chewier candy than a Hi-Chew. In fact, this Japanese candy bills itself as being “intensely chewy” and it sure is, but along with being chewy these have an incredible amount of flavor which makes them one of our favorites. Available in multiple flavors such as grape, apple, mango, and more.

Shrimp Chips
Let’s end our trip by having a snack and we have a truly unique one for you – Shrimp Chips! Yes, you heard that right. These imported Japanese snacks are puffed wheat which is baked then garlic shrimp flavored. These chips have been around for more than 50 years and are one of the most popular snacks in Japan. In addition to shrimp and garlic flavored chips we also shrimp and wasabi if you want to kick it up a little bit!

We hope you enjoyed taking a virtual trip with us to check out some of our favorite imported snacks from Japan. If you missed our favorites from the UK, be sure to check them out as well. Remember, if you’re looking for imported candy, we have a great selection from around the world that we stock in our warehouse and are in stock and ready to ship without delay!

Are you ready for a vacation? I know all of us here in our huge candy warehouse are ready to travel now that summer is here. But in case your vacation plans are still on hold or aren’t finalized yet, we’re here to take you on an international journey via candy!

Besides stocking all of the brands of candy you know and love that are available here in the United States, we carry a whole selection of candy and snacks from around the world.

Today, we’re going to travel virtually to the United Kingdom and explore some of their delicious, not to mention unique, candy and snacks.

Smarties
You’re probably familiar with the United States version of Smarties – the sugary, sweet, tablet-like candy that comes in a roll. Stateside they are one of the most popular candies, especially at Halloween. However, the UK version of Smarties is far different! These candies come in a tube and feature a chocolate center covered in a candy shell. Sound familiar? Of course… these Smarties are pretty similar to M&Ms.

Flake Chocolate Bar
Every now and then someone notices something weird and a lightbulb goes off! That happens to be the case with the Flake bar, which was created by chance. Back in 1920, a Cadbury candy maker noticed excess chocolate falling from molds during a manufacturing process. This excess chocolate was piling up into thin layers and when cooled turned into a unique, unintentional bar of delicious chocolate. The Flake bar has been around for over a century and is as sweet as ever! Now you can try this fantastic chocolate bar made in a manufacturing process so top-secret, only a few people are privy to it.

Lion Bar
Here’s a unique candy bar straight from the UK. The Lion bar combines a wafer (think something along the lines of a Kit Kat) and crisp cereal (think Rice Krispies) molded together then covered with rich, milk chocolate. This British treat has been around since 1974 and gets its name from what the candy bar looks like then you split it in half… a lion’s mane!

Rowntrees Fruit Gums
When we talk about gummy candy here in the United States we immediately think of gummy bears and gummy worms – soft, chewy candy. While the name of this candy implies “gummy,” they’re actually more like a Ju Ju Fruit. Originally introduced in 1893, the gums were round and were packaged in a tube. Since 2020, they now come in small bags and they lost their round shape. They are now shaped like each of the fruit flavors they represent. So how do they compare to our version of gummy candy? You’ll find these have a bit of a more firm texture but are packed with flavor!

There you have it! Some of our favorite candies from the UK. All of our international candy is imported directly to us and is stocked in our candy warehouse ready to ship to you without delay! Be sure to stay tuned for another trip to a foreign land to explore the sweet delights that await from overseas!