By Anastasia Megdanis
Photos by Tyler Smith
Could you imagine a world in which your childhood lemonade stand grew into an extremely successful business? For Clayton Brittan, co-owner of Hey Sugar Candy Store, his version of a lemonade stand is now a reality.
When Clayton was 10 years old, he was tired of getting dragged to his three older siblings’ equestrian competitions. Kristin Brittan, co-owner and mother of Clayton faced a predicament that many parents do — she couldn’t leave him home alone but she also wanted to make all of her children happy. So, she came up with a creative solution.
“Kristin knew that Clayton was very business-minded even at such a young age so she came up with the idea for him to sell candy to the spectators at the competitions,” explains Operations Manager Ashley Majors. “She found an airstream trailer on Craigslist that was already gutted to be a food truck, painted it our classic vibrant colors, and put some racks in there for the candy.”
Clayton’s small entrepreneurial hobby took off; he began making upwards of $1,000 each day. “That’s when Kristin decided they needed to renegotiate,” says Majors. “She said, ‘Alright son, you can’t keep all the profits. We need to make it into an LLC.’” That is how Hey Sugar Candy Store was born.
Clayton spent the next three years operating his business at the equestrian competitions in Wellington, Florida, and even sometimes during the summers. He learned the ins and outs of owning a business through hands-on experience.
Now as a high school senior, Clayton and his mother are co-owners of four Hey Sugar locations. The first store was established in Roanoke; from there it expanded into Decatur, Waco, and most recently the College Station location in Century Square.
“We are really excited about our location here in Century Square,” says Majors. “It’s in a great central location in the community and around so many other great shops. The Green especially is such a nice area to come grab some ice cream or candy and just hang out.”
The store carries about 1,000 different varieties of candy, so there is sure to be something for everyone. All the bulk candy such as sour patches, rock candy, gum balls, salt water taffy, and more are $10 per pound. Similarly, all of the bulk chocolate is $20 per pound. Bulk candy and chocolate cannot be combined in a bag, but aside from that, customers are able to mix and match as much as they would like to their sweet tooth’s desire.
“Now the irony of the candy store is that Clayton is extremely allergic to dairy, nuts, and fish,” says Majors. “So, all of the candy that Clayton started the store with was pre-packaged and sealed in wrappers to avoid a reaction.” For that reason (and also because they are simply delicious), the store carries a vast assortment of packaged candies and chocolates as well.
Majors notes the “nostalgic section” as one of her personal favorites. “It’s all of the candy that your grandparents grew up on,” explains Majors. “You’ve got your Sophie Maes, Bit-O-Honeys, Sugar Babies, the old fashioned big Tootsie Roll, and so much more. “
As if the candy wasn’t enough, Hey Sugar Candy Store carries approximately 150 different kinds of root beer and 300 different sodas. Some of the top-selling flavors are buffalo wild wings, butter, and pickle.
To complete the Hey Sugar dining experience, the College Station location uniquely offers a dessert course of homemade ice cream. Like anything else in the store, the ice cream is by no means ordinary. It tastes just as explosive and savory as the rest of the store looks.
One of the most popular new flavors is “Cereal Milk” and yes, it tastes exactly as you would imagine. Inspired by Majors’ husbands love for a midnight cereal snack, the creamy flavor tastes exactly like the milk from a bowl full of Fruit Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Captain Crunch. The Hey Sugar team also specially made flavors like “Bonfire” and “Gig ‘Em” for the College Station store.
“It has been amazing to see the growth of this company over the years,” says Majors. “We are truly one huge family here. Even as our plans and dreams for the stores grow, we will stay a tight-knit small business.”
What’s Happening in Century Square Century Square was developed by Midway Companies and opened in August 2017. It has become a unique feature in the College Station community by offering a wide assortment of retail stores, dining options, services, and lodging in the convenience of one centralized location. Within the next few months, residents of the area can look forward to more business openings and events in Century Square.
Currently Open
- King Ranch Saddle Shop
- Merge Boutique
- Runway Seven
- Blaze Pizza
- Hey Sugar Candy Store
- Hopdoddy Burger Bar
- Poppy
- Piada Italian Street Food
- Tiff’s Treats
- Zoe’s Kitchen
- 100 Park Apartments
- Cavalry Court
- The George
- SubZero Nitrogen Ice Cream
- Hemline Boutique
- Mess Waffles
- Star Cinema Grill
- Coming Soon
- Galleria Day Spa
- Harvest Coffee
Events
- Live music on The Green Every Friday and Saturday night
- Grooves on the Green Second Saturday of each month, longer live music performance and lawn games
- Sunday Night Live Positive and inspirational music last Sunday every month
- Trivia on The Green Every Thursday evening
- Century Square Cinema on the Green Third Wednesday of each month, June through August
- Lululemon on the Green Second Monday of each month, assorted workouts, June through August
- Yoga on the Green with Lululemon Last Saturday of each month, June through August
