Oct 6, 2014 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – A childhood dream of owning a candy store has years later helped sweeten Waynesburg’s business community.

Since opening in late July, 5 Kidz Kandy was warmly welcomed by fellow business owners and the community, according to owners Pansy McConnell of Sycamore and Kristy Vliet of Graysville. The new store is the “Buy Local, Buy Greene” featured business for the month of October.

Located at 78 E. High St., 5 Kidz Kandy sells specialty candy, gourmet chocolates, fudge, Hershey’s hand-dipped ice cream and frozen yogurt, baked goods, savory and glazed popcorn, and coffee, milkshakes and smoothies, among other treats and drinks. The store also offers whimsical items for children, from stuffed animals and toys to puzzles and games.

The fun and focus on kids are all part of the charm inherent in owning a candy store, a lifelong dream for Vliet. She shared that goal with McConnell, her longtime friend, and the two soon got to work on turning that dream into reality.

After extensively renovating the former office space with help from friends and family, Vliet and McConnell were inspired to name the store 5 Kidz Kandy in honor of their own children. Continuing with the kid-friendly theme, the store is working with local schools to coordinate coffee and fudge fundraisers.

All of the store’s food products are sourced locally. The chocolate is made by a family candy manufacturer in Scranton, the popcorn comes from a small business in Ohio and the baked goods are made by a Greene County baker.

5 Kidz Kandy is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 724-627-0552, or Like 5 Kidz Kandy’s page on Facebook.

“Buy Local, Buy Greene” is Greene County’s Buy Local network. The campaign aims to educate consumers on the impact they can have on their local economy by spending their money within Greene County. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to increase traffic to locally owned businesses in order to generate more revenue for the community. The multifaceted campaign includes information about both shopping locally and purchasing food from area farmers.

“Buy Local, Buy Greene” is a joint initiative of area businesses and nonprofits, including Community Bank, Greene Alliance for Development, Greene County Conservation District, Greene County Tourism, University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center, Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful and the Waynesburg University Center for Research and Economic Development. The Fund for Community and Economic Development and the Forever Greene Fund for 2012 of the Community Foundation of Greene County also supplied additional funding.

For more information on “Buy Local, Buy Greene” or ways to get involved, call 724-627-9054 or visit www.waynesburgpa.org/buylocal.