Couple tempt the sweet tooth with Strawser's Ice Cream, Pop & Candy shop in Grove City

The business that Mike and Julie Strawser opened July 1 in Grove City's Town Center might make anyone feel like the proverbial kid in a candy store.

That's because it is a candy store.

And it's an ice cream parlor.

It's also a soda-pop emporium.

"We've got a little bit of everything to tempt your sweet tooth," co-owner Mike Strawser said.

Strawser's Ice Cream, Pop & Candy shop took over the space formerly occupied by Marks Sports Cards Plus at 4026 Broadway.

The couple, who live in Obetz, said they're feeling a bit like youngsters themselves with their new business.

"We've been interested in working for ourselves and owning our own business for a long time," Julie Strawser said.

"My wife and I started talking to an owner of a candy store in the Short North about buying their business back in 2019," Mike Strawser said. "But then the COVID pandemic happened and kind of put the brakes on things. We decided it just wasn't an idea we could make work at that time."

That led the couple to establish What the Float, a food truck in which they serve hand-dipped floats using Perry's Ice Cream and soda pop from Avery's Beverages.

"They have a line of 'Totally Gross' sodas with really unappetizing names, like bird poo (grape), dog drool (lemon/orange) or monster mucus (strawberry/blue raspberry), but they're all really tasty fruit or candy-flavored," Mike Strawser said. "It's kind of fun to have people walk up to the food truck and say, 'I'll have some bird poo, please.'"

Before the end of July, Strawser's will begin offering in-store ice cream floats at its Broadway location, he said.

Customers will be able to build their own floats in the store, he said.

The store offers a stock of about 120 flavors of craft soda pop.

"We have all different brands," he said. "You can come in and try a different variety each day, and it's going to take you quite a while to go through all of our sodas."

An even larger number of candy varieties might on the shelves at Strawser's.

"We try to make sure we have all of the well-known candy brands on hand, but we also look for items that are unique or hard to find," MIke Strawser said.

Sour Candy Dough is similar to Play-Doh, he said.

"You can play with it, stretch it into whatever shape you want, then eat it," he said. "It's a whole lot of fun."

Edible candy paper is precisely what it sounds like – a paper made out of candy that one uses a candy pen to write on.

"You scribble out a message, then eat up the note you wrote," he said.

Julie Strawser said she was surprised at how popular cola-flavored Sour Patch Kids candy proved on the first few days the store was opened.

"The kids seem to love the sour candy," she said. "That's a little out of my league," she said with a chuckle.

Some old standbys – Wax Lips and candy cigarettes – were flying off the shelves over the July 4 holiday weekend, she said.

"We couldn't keep them in stock," she said. "I think people were really excited to see those old favorites again. I saw parents telling their children about how they used to get them when they were kids.

"I think we're selling nostalgia as much as the candy, soda or ice cream," Mike Strawser said.

"I love seeing that look on a child's face when it just lights up when they find that certain type of candy they really like," his wife said. "And you see the same expression on the adults' faces, too."

An ice cream and candy store brings out the kid in all of us, he said.

"It feels like you take a step back into time when you walk through the door! Great customer service! Incredible soda collection! And they are constantly getting in shipments of new (old) candies every week because they keep selling out!" Nicole Mavromatis wrote in a Google review.

Another by a reviewer under the name of Leah Duck wrote, "We visited today for the first time and the kids and I had a great time picking out treats we've never tried before! I highly recommend the Cherry Strawberry Akron Norka old fashioned soda! Yummy! This would be a great stop for a treat after lunch or dinner. We will be back!"

Mike Strawser formerly worked in the banking industry.

"It's been a nice change of pace for me," he said. "I liked banking, but I've got to admit this is a lot more fun."

Julie Strawser is continuing her career as a nurse working in case management while also co-owning the candy store.

Although the couple live in Obetz, they spend much of their time in Grove City.

"When we drove by (the storefront) and saw it was available, we knew it would be perfect for our store," she said.

Mike Strawser grew up in Grove City and said he believes Strawser's will be a perfect fit for the Town Center.

"We're already getting a lot of foot traffic. People are really curious about what we have to offer," he said.

The selection of candy, soda and ice cream will change up frequently, Julie Strawser said.

"It's going to be a different selection every time you stop by," she said. "We're always looking for something new to bring to our customers."

One of the featured items is Ben Heggy's chocolates, a candy manufacturer from her hometown of Canton that will be marking its centennial next year.

"That was one thing I was definite about -- we had to have Heggy's in stock at our store," she said. "It's a little bit of home for me."

More information about Strawser's and the What the Float food truck is available at wtfloats.com.

afroman@thisweeknews.com

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Strawser's Ice Cream, Pop & Candy shop opens in Grove City Town Center