[title]
Economy Candy, a Lower East Side favorite of children and embarrassingly tipsy day drinkers alike since 1937, is set to reopen this Friday, September 3, after an 18-month closure due to the pandemic.
Even absent a sweet tooth, anyone who’s ever tippled downtown knows its facade: Bold vintage script above an equally old-fashioned stripy awning within walking distance of some of the best bars in NYC. For years, it was the kind of place giggling brunchers and aspiring couples on first dates could accidentally happen upon and enjoy a little serendipitous whimsy.
Its location in an area with such a high concentration of restaurants and bars made Economy Candy particularly vulnerable to a sharp decline in foot traffic since March of 2020. In the months that followed, it relied on online sales to stay afloat. Now, with Rivington and its surrounding streets booming once more, The 1,000-square-foot shop with over 2,000 candy varieties will finally make the world taste good again with a Labor Day Weekend extravaganza.
On Friday through Monday, Economy Candy will host free chocolate tastings from local purveyors Fine & Raw, Gotham Chocolates by Gotham Bar and Grill, Finland’s Goodio and Tony's from the Netherlands. On Saturday, Synful Eats will also provide cookies, and The Pickle Guys will swing by with its own samples.
Other local businesses are getting in on the action all weekend, too. Big Gay Ice Cream will park its truck outside the shop and offer a trio of free “Economy Candy Explosion Toppings.” A sweet medley will include mini gummy bears, peach jelly beans and candy corn, sour mixes rainbow sour belts, Nerds, sour gummy bears and Pixy Stix and the chocolate option takes crumbled Snickers, Twix, Butterfinger and Crunch bars and drizzles them all with dulce de leche.
Pretty Ricky’s will serve a special EC drink and discount cocktails by 10 percent, Trapizzino will take $4 off bicicleta spritz’s and Arlene’s Grocery will knock $1 off its libations. All deals require proof of purchase from Economy Candy.
Economy Candy is located at 108 Rivington Street, and will be open from Friday-Tuesday from 12pm-5pm beginning September 10.