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Candy Rox

by Dominic Moore '05

You might say it all began with a sweet idea.

Trish Frohman '86 had just retired from a high octane career as the executive vice president of sports sales and marketing for Turner Broadcasting. While looking for a project closer to home and family, Frohman noticed that while trendy coffee shops were all the rage with local adults, young people had no similar outlet, no space which they could claim as their own.

The result was Candy Rox in Rye, N.Y. One part after-hours hangout, one part retail candy and gift mecca, Candy Rox is trendy, artistic, music driven and community focused. It was also an immediate success, resonating with youth looking for a positive hangout at the end of the day.

Working with D-ash Design, Frohman nailed the details, from the graffiti-art walls and recycled skateboard shelves to the tunes coming through the speakers. The lounge area at the store even comes equipped with an electric guitar and amp, encouraging a creative, open-mic vibe. That fun, youthful feeling translates into the store's online presence, www.candyrox.net.

The retail space of Candy Rox contains much of the sweet stuff you might expect, but Frohman also digs up unique and eye-catching gifts. Rock posters signed by the artist are a big hit, as are jewelry and clothing. "We spend an enormous amount of time finding things that the next person won't have," Frohman explains. "And we love offering items that give back to the community or hosting shopping nights where a percent of the proceeds go to a local school."

But central to the Candy Rox success story are the kids it serves. They often take part-time jobs at the store and even sell their creations on its shelves. "We're really driven by feedback and support from the kids," Frohman says, and that includes their own handiwork, from homemade necklaces to deluxe duct-tape wallets.

Community-driven and wildly innovative, Candy Rox may be the hippest candy store in America.