Powell's Sweet Shoppe

On the corner of Burlingame Avenue, Powell's Sweet Shoppe opened up relatively recently. It's not just any candy store, not the usual set-up of stacked candy containers and bins of taffy. It's more like a candy store, a toy store, and a Gelato parlor rolled into one. But the thing I like most about Powell's Sweet Shoppe is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. There are potential joke presents everywhere you turn: Joke mints, Plastic moustaches, Blow-up boyfriend/girlfriends, The Guide to Dating... Even though only 1/4 of those are actually candy, they all fit in with the general theme of Powell's Sweet Shoppe. It's a Fun Store. It sells fun.

Another amazing thing: They keep Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on repeat, with a row of movie theater seats in front of the TV for the "experience." I remember seeing that movie when I was little and being really scared by the Oompa Loompas, but in awe of Wonka's chocolate river. So even though there are kids running all around me, loud and sugar-crazy, I can still get into the movie since it's one of my favorites. So at least for me, visiting Powell's Sweet Shoppe is just a small reminder of things from my past.