Not Much Is Sweeter Than Dylan's Candy Bar

It all started with a dream—a delicious dream. Dylan Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s daughter, is the genius behind Dylan’s Candy Bar in Manhattan and East Hampton. According to the official Dylan’s Candy Bar website, while watching Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on her fifth birthday, Lauren became enthralled with the idea of a candy world. Later on in life she combined her passion for sweets with another passion—art.

In college, while studying abroad, Lauren tasted and discovered new candies and loved the decorative wrappers. She took her love for candy and art and combined them into her candy wonderland. You know it’s a wonderland when the walls and stairs are covered with candy and there are gumballs inside the tables.

In 2001, Dylan opened her first store on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The site underwent a huge expansion in 2008, taking Dylan’s Candy Bar from 10,000 to 15,000 square feet, creating a three-story establishment. In this glamorous, colorful, child-friendly store, there are over 5,000 types of candy!

There is the chocolate section, of course, where we find goodies such as chocolate-covered potato chips, dark chocolate-covered blueberries and even chocolate candies with sea salt. For those who are watching their weight, but still want to dive into a chocolate bar, Dylan’s has 100-calorie chocolate that comes in six different flavors such as dark chocolate sea salt, milk chocolate caramel, espresso, dark chocolate with almond, original dark chocolate and original milk chocolate.

Crave a fruity taste? Head for the gummy section (part of the Pick and Mix area). This is where you will typically find me when I’m in the store. You know it’s going to be a good day when you walk into Dylan’s Candy Bar and there is no one by the island of gummies—so you can really embrace the selection process. A clear bag is provided and then you’re off, gathering any type of gummy imaginable to fill your bag. Of course this includes cherry, orange and peach-flavored gummy bears, in regular and mini sizes, even sour-flavored gummies. In addition to bears, there are sharks, gummy rings, gummy peaches and raspberries, Sour Patch apples, twin cherries and Swedish Fish. You can even write your name in gummy letters (there’s nothing more satisfying than nourishing your inner child)!

When a celebrity buys a favorite treat at Dylan’s, they are asked to sign a clear container so customers can see which candy appeals to the celebrity’s sweet tooth. This feature is called “Famous Favorites,” and they are all on display at the NYC location. Celebrities such as East Hampton resident Steven Spielberg, former President Bill Clinton, fashion designer and father of Dylan, Ralph Lauren, Carson Daly from MTV and Al Roker of NBC have all contributed to this unique promotion.

Dylan’s Candy Bar, 52 Main St., East Hampton, will be featured at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks on July 16. Try some delicious samples from Dylan’s as well as more than 60 East End restaurants and wineries. Dylan’s Candy Bar in East Hampton is open Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 11 a.m.- 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. In addition to the East Hampton location, Dylan’s Candy Bar has outposts in New York, Garden City in Nassau County, Orlando and Houston.