By Chocolate bars. Caramels. Lollipops. Chocolate-dipped strawberries, Oreos and graham crackers. Fudge and fine chocolates.
That’s just a sampling of the dozens and dozens of handcrafted candies made and sold by “Sweet Pete” Behringer at his downtown Jacksonville candy store, candy factory and restaurant in the historic Seminole Club dubbed the “candy mansion.”
And that doesn’t include more than a thousand other types of classic and novelty candies — everything from Fun Dip to Bazooka gum to Skittles, Airheads and more — also for sale to satisfy every sweet tooth.
But Sweet Pete’s is more than just candy. Its whimsical, colorful Fizzies & Fare restaurant features a large selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more, plus ice cream, decadent shakes and candy cocktails.
So it’s easy to see why Sweet Pete’s has been named as one of the 10 best candy stores in the United States by USA TODAY’s 10Best.
In the list released Wednesday, Sweet Pete’s ranked third based on votes by readers, behind only shops in Kansas and Colorado. It was the only shop from Florida on the list.
Behringer, the son of Peterbooke Chocolatier founder Phyillis Geiger, launched Sweet Pete’s in 2010 in a three-story home on Pearl Street in Springfield. At the time, he had moved on from the day-to-day operations of the Jacksonville-based company.
“I wanted a chance to be creative,” he told the Times-Union then. “If I want to create a new product, I just do it.”
And that’s what he did with Sweet Pete’s.
Four years later, Behringer and Sweet Pete’s gained a national following when they appeared on “The Profit,” a reality TV show on CNBC starring Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Camping World. Following the episode’s airing, Sweet Pete’s sales increased from $7,500 a month to $75,000, said Lemonis, who became an investor in the business with Behringer and his wife, Allison Behringer.
That led to the move to 400 N. Hogan St., where they converted the 21,683-square-feet historic building into a candy shop and factory and a restaurant.
USA TODAY’s 10 best candy stores across the U.S.
- The Taffy Shop: Estes Park, Colorado
- The Sweet Granada: Emporia, Kansas
- Sweet Pete’s Candy: Jacksonville
- Bright’s Candies: Walla Walla, Washington
- The Farris Wheel Candy Co.: Wichita, Kansas
- Samuel’s Sweet Shop: Rhinebeck, New York
- Candyality: Chicago, Illinois
- Windy City Sweets: Chicago, Illinois
- Wilton Candy Kitchen: Wilton, Iowa
- True Treats Historic Candy: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
