You’ve probably seen the videos. Someone walks into a warehouse so large it has its own zip code (basically), and suddenly they’re surrounded by mountains of sugar. It’s not a fever dream. It’s b.a. Sweetie Candy Company in Cleveland. If you are looking for a big candy store in Ohio, this is the undisputed heavyweight champion. It isn’t just some boutique shop with a few glass jars and a vintage register. We are talking about 40,000 square feet of pure, unadulterated glucose.
It’s huge.
Most people stumble upon it while looking for a nostalgia fix, but they stay because the sheer scale is overwhelming. It’s located on Brookpark Road, and honestly, the parking lot alone tells you everything you need to know. It’s often packed with license plates from three states over. Why? Because while Amazon is great for buying bulk toilet paper, it’s surprisingly terrible at curating 400,000 pounds of candy that actually tastes like 1954.
What People Get Wrong About the Scale
A lot of folks assume "big" just means they have a lot of Snickers bars. Wrong. Any gas station has Snickers. A true big candy store in Ohio like b.a. Sweetie thrives on the obscure. They have over $3 million in inventory sitting on those shelves at any given moment. Think about that number for a second. That is a lot of Mary Janes and Bit-O-Honeys.
The layout is more "industrial warehouse" than "Willy Wonka." You grab a shopping cart—a full-sized grocery cart, mind you—and you navigate aisles that feel like they go on forever. It’s organized, but in a way that encourages getting lost. You’ll be looking for gummy bears and suddenly find yourself in the "soda cave."
The soda section is a beast of its own. We’re talking over 500 varieties of glass-bottle craft sodas. They have the classics, sure, but they also have the weird stuff. Pickles-flavored soda? Yep. Grass? Unfortunately, yes. Bacon? You bet. It’s a literal library of carbonation. If you’re a collector, this is your Mecca.
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The Nostalgia Factor isn't Just Marketing
We often talk about nostalgia as a cheap marketing ploy. Here, it’s the business model. You’ll see grandfathers standing in Aisle 4 pointing at a candy bar they haven't seen since the Eisenhower administration, trying to explain the flavor to a bored teenager. It’s kind of beautiful, actually. They stock brands that most people think went out of business decades ago.
They’ve been around since 1950. That’s seventy-five years of knowing exactly what people crave when they’re feeling sentimental. The company started as a small wholesale operation and just... grew. And grew. It moved to the massive Brookpark facility around 2012 because they simply ran out of room for all the chocolate.
Why This Big Candy Store in Ohio is Different From a Theme Park
You might think of places like Hershey Park or Dylan’s Candy Bar in New York. Those are "experiences." They are shiny. They are expensive. b.a. Sweetie is different because it feels like a working warehouse. The prices are actually reasonable. Since they are a wholesaler first and a retail store second, you aren't paying "tourist trap" markups.
You can buy a single piece of taffy or a 30-pound case of Tootsie Rolls. There is no judgment here.
They also added "Sweeties Golf" and a soda shop right next door. The soda shop serves locally made ice cream and uses the sodas from the warehouse to make floats. It’s a smart move. It turns a quick shopping trip into a four-hour afternoon. But the core is still that massive, echoing room full of sugar.
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Breaking Down the Inventory
If you're looking for specifics, the gummy selection is probably the most visually jarring part of the store. They don't just have gummy worms. They have gummy everything. Fried eggs, sushi, giant pythons that weigh several pounds, and every fruit flavor known to man.
Then there’s the "retro" section. This is where the big candy store in Ohio keyword really earns its keep.
- Candy Cigarettes: Still sold here (in the classic chalky sticks).
- Wax Lips: A staple that somehow refuses to die.
- Zagnut Bars: Hard to find in the wild, but plentiful here.
- Sky Bars: For those who need four different fillings in one chocolate bar.
- Mallo Cups: Complete with the little cardboard coins you used to collect.
It’s worth noting that they don't just do old-school stuff. They are hyper-aware of TikTok trends. When "Freeze Dried" candy became the biggest thing on the internet, they didn't ignore it. They cleared out space and stocked up. They have more freeze-dried Skittles and marshmallows than most dedicated online shops.
The Logistics of Visiting (Don't Make These Mistakes)
Look, if you go on a Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer, you’re going to have a bad time. Or at least, a crowded time. It gets loud. Kids are everywhere. Sugar-highs are a real and present danger.
If you want to actually explore, go on a Tuesday morning. It’s quiet. You can hear the hum of the refrigerators. You can actually read the labels on the weird European imports.
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Also, bring a cooler. If you’re buying chocolate and it’s an Ohio July, that stuff will be a puddle before you hit the Turnpike. People forget this. They spend $100 on high-end truffles and then leave them in a hot Honda Civic for three hours while they eat lunch at a nearby diner. Don't be that person.
It’s Not Just Cleveland
While b.a. Sweetie is the "big" one everyone talks about, Ohio actually has a weirdly dense population of massive candy outlets. Grandpa’s Cheesebrock in Ashland has a surprisingly large candy wing, and Jungle Jim’s down in Cincinnati is a world-class contender too. But for a dedicated, candy-only experience, the Brookpark warehouse is the peak.
The complexity of running a place like this is staggering. Managing expiration dates on 10,000 different SKUs is a nightmare. Most small shops can't handle it. That's why b.a. Sweetie is such an anomaly. They have the turnover to keep the stock fresh. There is nothing worse than buying a "nostalgic" candy bar only to realize it's been sitting on a shelf since the 90s and tastes like cardboard. Here, the product moves fast enough that it’s actually fresh.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you're planning to trek to this big candy store in Ohio, do it with a plan. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and walk out with $200 worth of stuff you’ll never eat.
- Set a Budget Before You Enter: Seriously. The "wholesale" mindset makes you think everything is a bargain (and much of it is), but it adds up fast when you're grabbing 5-pound bags of Swedish Fish.
- Check the Soda Cave First: If you’re a fan of root beer or ginger ale, start here. It’s the most impressive part of the store and requires the most "browsing" time.
- Look for the "Oops" Section: Sometimes they have bulk bins of slightly-imperfect candies at a massive discount. It’s the best way to stock up for a party.
- Visit the Soda Shop After: Get a flight of soda or a custom-made float. It’s the perfect way to decompress after the sensory overload of the warehouse.
- Park in the Back: The front spots are a trap. The lot is huge, but the flow of traffic is awkward. Save yourself the headache.
The reality of b.a. Sweetie is that it’s a survivor. In an era where retail is dying and everyone buys their treats at CVS or via an app, a giant warehouse full of obscure taffy and glass-bottle pop shouldn't work. But it does. It works because humans are hard-wired to love variety and sentimentality. It’s a physical manifestation of "the good old days," even if your "good old days" were just five years ago.
Go for the sugar, stay for the weirdness. Just remember to brush your teeth afterward. Seriously. Your dentist doesn't need to know about this trip.