This week, Her Campus USFSP has decided to branch out from St. Petersburg to bring you a sweet travel blog. Welcome to The Candy Kitchen in Madeira Beach.
The little, brick building has been around 60 years and continues to mix homemade ice cream, fudge, italian ice and other treats that are worth the cavities. The store is about 20 minutes away from campus, so no overnight bag will be needed. Other beachy destinations nearby makes it a perfect day trip if you’re in the mood for something different. And nostalgic.
The Candy Kitchen is well-known for carrying every kind of candy you can think of — even the ones you thought were discontinued three years ago. Penny candies like Mary Janes and Bit-O-Honeys have gone up nine cents the past few decades, but a dime is still a reasonable price.
If you don’t grab a famous cup of homemade ice cream, the trip has been wasted; don’t even bother showing up, seriously. How can you pass up birthday cake ice cream with chunks of baked cake bits and buttercream frosting? Not to mention chocolate peanut butter ice cream made with Peter Pan Peanut Butter. A junior size of any flavor will run you $1.80, a single $2.80 and a double $3.95 (plus tax, of course). Holy cheap. Take that, Cold Stone!
Speaking of stones, The Candy Kitchen has a selection of jawbreakers that are guaranteed to break your face. Sizes range from micro beads to baseballs. Choose wisely.
No CK visit is complete without your signature on the wall. Come on, all the cool kids are doing it.
The new Jelly Belly wall is the latest addition. Yes, that means you can now buy the Buttered Popcorn flavor in pounds. That’s the only increment you should by jelly beans in, right?
King Gummy Bear and his minions agree — pounds are the way to go. Get yourself a one-pound gummy bear for a small fee of $6.99. If that’s too small for you, check out the five-pound gummy bear. But you have to come see that one for yourself.
The Candy Kitchen also has walls of bulk candy available by the pound. Prices range from $4.99-$6.99. Mixing and matching is approved.
You might as well go out with a bang. Behind the register is a buffet of old-time bottled sodas that are no more than two bucks. Wash down your sugar with more sugar, in the form of Crush, Nehi, A&W and much more. Even the favorites like Coca-Cola and Sprite taste better in a glass bottle; it’s like… science or something.
Hopefully you’ll have to go to the bathroom while you’re here. If not, go anyway. It’s the only time you’ll see candy box wallpaper and it’s the only place people “come for the bathroom, stay for the ice cream.”
13711 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach, FL 33708
Other locations:
18131 Gulf Blvd., Redington Shores, FL
4695 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL – Dolphin Village Plaza