Sweetie Candy Company of Cleveland Sending Popcorn Balls to Space

CLEVELAND- On the latest episode of CleveItToUs we take you on a tour of the world of candies, popcorns, and confectionary nostalgia. In this episode, our host, Gremi, met with Tom Sheiman, the owner of the 73-year-old Sweetie Candy Company in Cleveland. The Sweetie Candy Company has been a staple of Cleveland for over seven decades, providing customers with the largest variety of candies from around the world.

Sheiman, took over the business in 1970, and has been consistently growing it for 53 years; and as Gremi observed, he was born for this work. With every interaction Tom had with children and customers, the joy and passion of a child was evident on his face and in his voice. He also loves his employees like family. He is known to often cook food from home to share with those who help keep his business running and successful.

Sweetie Candy Company's distribution business model is what sets it apart. The company provides other local and national stores with inventory that is hard to find elsewhere. This model allows Tom to keep the main store open, offering children and adults alike the chance to explore endless aisles of candies, chocolates, and sweets.

Gremi and Tom shared their mutual love of the Cleveland classic, "Popcorn Balls," a product of Humphrey Popcorn, which Tom owns and is a huge part of the Sweeties brand. Tom produces the popcorn balls and sends them all around the country, including to Astronaut Sunita "Suni" Williams, who requested 24 popcorn balls to take with her on her next trip to the international space station in April. As Gremi said, these popcorn balls are so good, they're "out of this world", and that "Suni would make sure of that". Tom is looking forward to the possibility of Suni sending back a single popcorn ball with her autograph on it, once it's been to space and back.

During the tour, Tom showed Gremi the massive store, several packaging stations, the distribution center and warehouse, and even took him on a tour of one of the kitchens where he got to see how the popcorn is made, flavored, coated, and packaged. Gremi was also impressed with the literal tons of sugar, popcorn kernels, and cotton candy at the store. While together, Gremi shared his favorite candy (Reese's Fast Break) with Tom, and Tom reciprocated with his favorite candy (Chunky Bar) with Gremi.

Sweetie also has two 18-hole miniature golf courses attached to the property, making it a perfect place for a day of fun and adventure. With over half a million visitors in 2022, Sweetie Candy Company is one of Cleveland's most visited attractions.

At Sweetie, you'll find national, regional, and hard-to-find brands, as well as nostalgic candies you thought were gone forever. With a combined 100 years of experience in the candy business, the top three managers at Sweetie are candy experts and will guide you in making the right decisions on the perfect confections for every occasion. Sweeties offers gifts, special packs, wholesale sales, and distribution services to meet all your candy needs.

Gremi had a blast talking Cleveland history and candy with Tom and encourages everyone to do the same; so, stop in and visit to make some amazing memories with b.a. Sweetie Candy; a Cleveland classic since 1950.

------------------------------------------------------------ Special Thanks to Tom Sheiman (Sweetie Candy Company), Ashley Shack (Audio Visual Production Supervisor).

Original Airdate: 2/21/2023