Shoppe Girls

Robin and Aliza Nahama are sweet on candy — and sweeter on you.

It's an unexpectedly warm Saturday in early April, and a steady flow of people have found their way into the Little Candy Shoppe. A group of children cluster around a bin of M&Ms, filling their bags and eyeing a spread of gummy candies. While two twentysomethings laugh about their diets over giant bricks of fudge, a sticky toddler takes another swipe at a cup full of strawberry ice cream.

Mark Stehle TRUFFLE SHUFFLE: Little Candy Shoppe owners/self-professed chocoholics Robin (left) and Aliza Nahama.

Perched behind the counter, mother-and-daughter owners Robin and Aliza Nahama play gracious hosts with a ready pile of napkins and plate of samples, grinning and chatting with their customers about everything from pregnancy cravings to math class.

It feels unreal, like a black-and-white scene out of Pleasantville. But one gets the feeling that this is what life is like every day at the pinkest nook on Liberties Walk.

Robin — who, at 49, is a poster woman for the mysterious anti-aging powers of cocoa — isn't at all surprised. "People are coming in here in a happy mood, and when they leave, they're in a better mood," she says. "We're not selling used tires — we're selling sugar and chocolate." But as the second customer waves goodbye and promises to be back tomorrow, you know it just can't be that simple.

Although this incarnation of the Little Candy Shoppe has been satisfying Northern Liberties' sweet tooth for only a little more than a year, the original store opened in Moorestown, N.J., in 1998. After selling her family's optical business, Robin spent a year diligently studying candy and the candy industry, visiting food shows across the country and in Europe. Aliza came up with the name of the store, while her brother, Ian, is credited with the slogan: "Where everyone goes home happy.""

While the original store was well-received (some former Moorestown customers now make the trip to Philly), Robin decided to sell the shop in 2004 to pursue a career in real estate. It wasn't until Aliza moved to Philly and fell in love with it that they revisited the possibility of selling candy again.

After a negligible bit of convincing (Robin, after all, frequently works in a "Promise Me Anything But Give Me Chocolate" apron), the ladies were ready to reopen the Little Candy Shoppe. But this time around, the location isn't the only difference. Rutgers grad Aliza, now 23, is an equal partner as opposed to just an employee. Both Nahamas now run the business, from serving customers to decorating to handling finances. "In the past year, I've had to step back," says Robin. "Aliza's not working for me anymore — she's my full partner. I had to let go of some of the control stuff."

And it's a sweet, sweet partnership, to say the least. The Shoppe carries almost every type of sugary fix, elegantly combining gourmet products and bulk candy under one roof. Champagne, cappuccino and amaretto truffles star in a display case of artisan chocolates, while nostalgic candy like Satellite Wafers and candy cigarettes line another wall.

Hand-scooped Bassett's ice cream is served straight up, in milkshakes or on top of freshly baked Belgian waffles. A cheeky gift section includes novelty goodies such as chocolate body frosting, but the ladies also design and ship their own custom-made gift baskets worldwide.

"We're selling more than just chocolate," says Robin. "When people come in here, we love their reactions. For people my age, it evokes memories [of] a peaceful time in this country. The little kids come in here and they're just amazed by the colors."

While such a statement could be interpreted as over the top, it's clear that these ladies are dead serious about candy. During the Easter season, they shipped in coconut cream eggs from Lucille's in Long Beach Island, personal favorites that ended up selling out. Their Country Fresh fudge comes all the way from Tennessee, and one bite of the impossibly creamy strawberry cheesecake variety justifies the journey. Even the rock candy is hand-selected, as Robin swears Connecticut-based Dryden & Palmer is the only way to go when it comes to crystallized sugar.

Of course, not even house-made chocolate-covered potato chips can explain the Shoppe's loyal pack of regulars. More likely, it's because of how invested Robin and Aliza are in the community. A "Wall of Fame" features pictures of customers, from punky corseted girls to babies in Halloween costumes. Another wall is covered in pictures drawn by candy fanatics ages 3 to 20; local children are allowed to keep a small tab running. (To date, no one has failed to pay up.)

"The neighborhood has embraced us. We didn't barge in here. We said, 'Thank you very much for having us.' That's just the way you come into anyone's home," says Robin, who sounds charmingly mom-like whether she's discussing good manners or pushing a second truffle sample. "There's not a week that goes by that people don't bring us dinner over here."

As the Little Candy Shoppe starts in on year two, Robin and Aliza aren't planning any drastic renovations or major changes. "I would never want to lose what we have now," says Aliza. "The world is so crazy, but this is a place where you can come and feel happy and innocent and free. That's so important to us."

(monica@citypaper.net)

The Little Candy Shoppe, Liberties Walk, 1030 N. American St., Suite 901, 215-667-8567.

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