For Andrea McMillin, success smells sweet.
“I’ve always wanted a candy store,” said McMillin, who owns and runs AndiMac’s Candy Shack in historic downtown Mansfield. “We were so poor growing up that candy was not an option. My granddad would always take me to a candy store and let me pick out what I wanted.”
Now, McMillin watches grandparents bring their grandchildren into her old-fashioned candy store and find candies they haven’t seen since they were young.
“Every historic area needs an old-fashioned candy store,” she said. “People come in and it’s not what they expected.
“I love seeing grandparents bring in their grandchildren,” McMillin said. “And they like it! We have unique stuff, from a 33-cent gummy burger on up.”
And there is a huge assortment of candy, from around the world to retro favorites. AndiMac’s has candy from Europe, Mexico and Japan, plus an assortment of craft sodas, like Wild Bill’s and Dublin.
If they don’t have it, they’ll find it.
“When somebody wants a new candy or an old candy, we’ll track it down,” said Brandon McMillin, the store’s operations manager and McMillin’s son. “Somebody came in and wanted Clark Bars. Mom tracked them down and now he comes in all the time to get them.”
Even though they specialize in sweets, their prices are comparable to – and sometimes better than – the big box stores, Brandon McMillin said.
AndiMac’s also has the new candies that youngsters are looking for, Brandon said, but the retro candies are the ones that get the most comments.
“People tell me stories about where they first had this candy,” he said. “One of the biggest hits is candy cigarettes or cinnamon picks. They said ‘We used to couldn’t take them to school. Back in the day, we used to be so cool.”
Andrea McMillin opened AndiMac’s Candy Shack in March 2018 on the east side of Main Street, but moved to the west side in 2022 to have more room. The 2,000-square-foot store is on the first floor of the century-old building at 119 N. Main St. that has done time as a bank and the Mansfield News-Mirror newspaper office. The hardwood floor and barrels of taffy add to the old-time feel.
“I think the place is beautiful,” said Dee Davey, a long-time Mansfield resident and Realtor. “They have stuff from my childhood. You just have to have fun coming into a place like this. There’s not many candy stores.
“We are lucky to have a downtown like this,” Davey said. “It’s quaint, it’s sweet, especially when you were raised in a small town. It takes you back to being a kid.”
Brandon McMillin agreed.
“It’s not actually penny candy,” he said. “I feel like we sell memories and a unique experience. I have made some really amazing friends just by selling them candy. This is not corporate, it’s family. It’s like home.”
