Candy Store Brings Back Childhood Memories

A young girl dashes through the store, filling her basket with sweet treats. Almost $15 later, Grandma has made the young girl happy.

Two ladies are flabbergasted over the size of the chocolate malt balls. One tries a sample and is in heaven. Her friend was thrilled she found candy cigarettes. She bought five boxes.

Another woman came in only for the extreme cheese caramel popcorn. By the time she reached her car, her fingertips were orange.

All of them are trying the goods at Sweet Tooth in Morris.

Owner Donna Ramierz has really enjoyed the past five years. She loves how her customers light up when they come into Sweet Tooth. 

“I love doing this and I especially love the kids,” Donna Ramierz said. “Kids come in and give me hugs and this makes me feel good. There are some kids that started coming here when they were in elementary school and now they are in high school. It’s scary and neat at the same time.” 

Donna Ramierz said she loves when customers come into the store, see what she has to offer and begin to tell stories of how they used to eat that candy. She even contacts distributors to find candy customers want that she does not have in the store.

“I wanted to bring back the the old time candy because it brings back memories,” Donna Ramierz said. 

Donna Ramierz remembers growing up with her five siblings and going to the candy store was a treat. And that’s one reason she has Sweet Tooth today.

The quaint store in downtown Morris offers a variety of candies, including old-fashioned “penny candy.”  Smooth creamy chocolates, including some selections from Long Grove, gummies in 12 flavors and numerous shapes, ice cream and it’s well known popcorn are what customers are in search of.

Salty

According to Sheena Ramierz, Donna’s daughter and manager, the most popular item is the popcorn.

“The extreme cheese, a caramel corn coated with cheese is the most requested,” Sheena Ramierz said. “Many customers say it’s addicting.”

“I have customers who live in the city and work in Morris and will stop in and load up on my popcorn,” Donna Ramierz said. “They say that my popcorn is better than Garrett’s.”

Garrett Popcorn has been famous for it’s popcorn in Chicago since 1949.

Decorative tins filled with popcorn can be shipped to loved ones as gifts. Candy and fudge can be incorporated or substituted in the gift baskets and tins for special occasions, including Christmas the busiest holiday at the store,

Sweet

The fudge is from a Southern Illinois distributor. The uniqueness of this fudge is that the toppings are also swirled into the entire fudge mixture, Donna Ramierz said.

“It has a creamy fudge taste and that is the reason we stick with this,” Donna Ramierz said.

Twenty-flavors of Petersen Ice Cream are available for tasting. Peach is a hit in the summer and Donna Ramierz will bring in peppermint and eggnog during the holiday season.

Sheena Ramierz said she likes to combine flavors for customers. 

A chocolate chip cookie bowl with a scoop of ice cream and freshly assembled cookie ice cream sandwiches are available also.

And other treats

And what goes better with cookies than milk? Perhaps some coffee.

“Lots of people have compared our coffee to Starbucks,” said Sheena Ramierz. “Three years ago we had a coffee appreciation event and gave out free coffee. More than 75 percent of the people liked it.”

In addition to the candy one would expect, Sweet Tooth also offers those that are hard to find - some that offer extra health benefits.

Donna Ramierz said she has a huge request for ginger-flavored hard candy because it helps prevent nausea.

“It is good for the elderly and pregnant women,” Donna Ramierz said. “It makes them more comfortable during their illness or discomfort.”

For those dieting, smoothies are made with red tea and pureed fruit and provide vitamins and antioxidants.

New Items

Every year Ramierz and her daughter Sheena attend the Candy Expo held at the McCormick Place in Chicago. Here, they bring back fun ideas to incorporate into the store.

New this year is the Powder Pucker Machine. Kids fill a long plastic tube with flavored sweet and sour sugar, similar to a sweet tart or pixie stick. The various flavors and colors can be mix and matched to form a unique concoction of flavors.

Another new item is the Shock Liquid. The sweet and sour liquid is combined with a crystal powder. The powder will pop and crackle in one’s mouth.

Two years ago, Ramierz brought in the Jelly Belly canister. This canister holds every flavor of jelly beans offered by Jelly Belly. Customers can choose one flavor to buy or purchase several to make their own creation.

Sweet Tooth is at 206 Liberty Street in Morris. Visit them on Facebook.