Candy Retailer Opens 16K-SF Store at Bayside Marketplace

Candy retailer It’Sugar has opened a 16,000-square-foot, two-story sweets shop at Bayside Marketplace, an open-air shopping center and tourist destination along Biscayne Bay in Downtown Miami.

While most It’Sugar locations take up smaller footprints, the new store is among a handful of the chain’s flagship locations.

The store carries the usual inventory of Sour Patch Kids, Nerds, Skittles, Reese’s, M&M’s, Heshey’s and Starburst treats, along with retro brands and international products. Thanks to its expansive floorplate, the Bayside store, at 401 Biscayne Boulevard, includes a lollipop garden and places for photo opportunities.

It’Sugar is a unit of Fort Lauderdale-based BBX Capital. The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2020, blaming a pandemic-caused slowdown in sales, but emerged from bankruptcy in 2022.

Known for its bright colors and whimsical vibe, the chain has more than 100 stores in the U.S. and Canada. That includes smaller stores at South Florida shopping centers such as Delray Marketplace and Mizner Park, and at New York City hot spots such as Times Square and Coney Island.

It’Sugar’s biggest store is a 24,000-square-foot, three-story location at American Dream mall in East Rutherford, N.J. In a more typical lease, the chain last year took 2,751 square feet at 801 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach.

Jeff Ostrowski can be reached at jostrowski@commercialobserver.com.