A new young entrepreneur rolled into Gainesville this month in a lemon yellow and baby blue-striped candy cart.
Sugar Baby Candy Cart, Gainesville’s first Swedish candy cart business, opened Aug. 10, offering private bookings and pop-up events for the fall.
Sherlyn Dias, Sugar Baby’s 26-year-old founder, started the company in hopes of sharing her love of Swedish candy and making it accessible to Gainesville residents.
Dias said Sugar Baby is the first local vendor to exclusively sell candy, which comes in a wide variety of options.
“Every single time, there’s something new to look forward to, and you can try candy that is unique and healthier for you,” Dias said.
The difference in Swedish candy comes down to the ingredients, she said, which lack artificial dyes.
“I import Swedish candy,” Dias said. “I make sure it's a good supplier from Sweden.”
She explained how Swedish candy sold in American stores, such as Target and Five Below, is produced in Mexico and uses different ingredients.
The accessibility is her favorite part of the business, she said.
Sugar Baby offers halal and vegetarian options as well as dairy- and gelatin-free candy to include those with dietary restrictions, she said.
Sugar Baby doesn’t have a storefront yet, so it’s focused on hosting pop-ups and private events across Gainesville.
Its first public pop-up was hosted Aug. 26 at all-women’s gym Peach by Pump. The summer heat and rain that swept through Gainesville did little to dampen the energy.
Customers could pick and mix different Swedish candies to fill a bag or cup, choosing from options like banana toffee Bubs, sour tutti-frutti Bubs and sour gluten-free “chestnuts,” a bite-sized chewy fruit candy.
From 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the candy cart saw a steady line excited to try Swedish candy.
Francesca Dedi, a 19-year-old UF civil engineering freshman, heard about the event on TikTok and shared it with her friends.
Dedi had never tried Swedish candy, she said, so she was most excited “to get a bit of everything and try each one.”
Customers ranged from those excited to try Swedish candy for the first time to social media followers who had been anticipating the cart’s opening for months.
Hayden Loeun, a 20-year-old UF business administration junior, was ecstatic to see Swedish candy coming to Gainesville, especially knowing how difficult it is to import, she said.
“I’m so glad they came to Gainesville, and they’re giving people the opportunity to really try their candies,” Loeun said.
Beyond offering sweets, Sugar Baby also gave students the opportunity to help the company grow.
Jasmine Ikegwu, a 20-year-old Santa Fe College psychology junior, offered to help out at Sugar Baby’s first public event after seeing the business gain traction on Instagram and TikTok.
“I’m candy driven,” Ikegwu said.
Volunteers were given $15 vouchers for Swedish candy after the event. Many said their favorite part was getting to meet new people and seeing so many customers excited for the treats.
Sugar Baby will hold future events at the Hub on 3rd on Sept. 11 and 108 Vine, Dias said. She also wants to set up at UF’s monthly Gator Market.
With more pop-ups on the horizon, Dias hopes the excitement will continue to grow. For now, the cart is bringing a little taste of Sweden to Gainesville, one cup of candy at a time.
Contact Katharine Litman at klitman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @katealligator.
