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Chasing Candy
updated: Oct 08, 2012, 2:00 PM

Now that Kingston's Candy Co is closed down, where is the best place in Santa Barbara to get candy?

Please dont say Stearns Wharf, too expensive.

Places People Are Talking About:

Chocolate Gallery	Chocolate Maya	Chocolats du Cali Bressan
My Sweet Pineapple	Robitaille's	Sweet Alley

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 329331	2012-10-08 02:05 PM
Your post infers that Kingston's WAS the best place to get candy...which is true only if you liked paying a "Kingston's" ransom for it. They were SO overpriced, and THAT is the reason they failed. To answer your question...I have no idea. CVS???
COMMENT 329333	2012-10-08 02:14 PM
Candy for what; Halloween, special occasion, candy dish in front of the TV? I will agree CVS and the lot are good for bulk trick or treaters. Chocolate Explosion and the Pumpkin Fudge @ the Chocolate Gallery are a special treat.
SBJULES	2012-10-08 02:14 PM
I am old school; I love sees.
COMMENT 329337	2012-10-08 02:19 PM
It already closed?? Hasn't it only been open about a year? I never did get in there.
COMMENT 329340	2012-10-08 02:22 PM
Heh. I can't stand See's. If you get up to Solvang, I like Rocky Mountain even tho they're expensive. But I usually only get truffles and peanut butter cups. And fudge. And tiger butter. Great. Now I have a craving.
COMMENT 329342	2012-10-08 02:24 PM
I'm sorry they closed. Maybe they are just moving to a cheaper location?
COMMENT 329349	2012-10-08 02:36 PM
I also agree that it was over-priced. I went there once and never again- I think we opened maybe 2 years ago though? For good quality chocolate, I recommend Chocolate Maya downtown. For regular stuff, the drugstore.
COMMENT 329351	2012-10-08 02:40 PM
Just checked their FB page - nope, the SB location is closed. Ojai is still open & apparently still going strong. For really good chocolate, try Chocolats du Cali Bressan (in Carp & on State St). I like Sees, but Cali Bressan kinda blows them out of the water. For retro stuff, online is really your only safe bet. However, you can find some of their stuff at any store like CVS that has a decent candy selection (and you can still get Elvira's sodas at Sort This Out Cellars in Solvang!).
COMMENT 329353	2012-10-08 02:41 PM
329342 - No, they are closing that location for good and have no plans to open another. KEYT had this story about a week ago. The family does still have their original location in Ojai. 329337 - They had been open for almost exactly 2 years at that location.
COMMENT 329355P	2012-10-08 02:43 PM
331. I can't help myself: "Your post IMPLIES . . ." The comment person implies something. YOU infer it. Kingston's was ridiculously overpriced, I agree. I only went in there once, and that was enough. See's Candies is the only place for good candy. Friends' eyes always light up when you walk in the door with a big box of See's Candies. The only other recourse is either CVS/Ralph's/Vons-type stuff or the specialty chocolate shops like the one in La Arcada ($$$).
COMMENT 329356	2012-10-08 02:44 PM
Depending on what you want there is the Chocolate Gallery in Goleta (haven't been there in ages) or CVS for the regular stuff. I alawys get stuck buying candy in the check out lines with my kids so I don't ever have to hunt it down. Maybe ask some 5 year olds they might know!!
EDHATBARBARA	2012-10-08 02:46 PM
I know it's not in Santa Barbara per se, but have you considered Robataille's in Carpinteria? They have an outstanding selection, make their own fudge and are as friendly as they come. Oh, and their prices are really fair!
COMMENT 329361	2012-10-08 02:56 PM
Sees! Hands down the best in the state.
COMMENT 329368	2012-10-08 03:11 PM
Sad to see Kingston's close, the owner is the nicest lady, always friendly and cheerful and nice to the kids. I hope their other location does great.
COMMENT 329372	2012-10-08 03:18 PM
That's too bad that they closed. It was an odd place foot-traffic-wise, so I'm not hugely surprised. As a diabetic, I never bought anything myself, but I looked around a couple of times and they were super nice in there! Too bad. :( Robataille's in Carp is a good comparable alternative. Sees only sells chocolates and licorice or hard chocolate based candies.
COMMENT 329375	2012-10-08 03:23 PM
You try running a small business in SB and see if your prices don't seem really high. A lot of it is due to the astronomical rents you have to pay. That bookstore in IV that closed recently was paying $10,000/mo; at least that's what I think the story said. That puts tremendous pressure on the business owner to sell a lot of stuff.
COMMENT 329377	2012-10-08 03:26 PM
Chocolate Maya of course. Delicious selections
COMMENT 329380	2012-10-08 03:32 PM
Rental prices are not astronomical if someone signs the lease and is willing to pay that amount. Not having a good business plan to afford what one agreed to pay for rent, is not the fault of the landlord. No one forced Kingston to locate where it did. It knew what it was getting into as well as any other merchant on State Street. BTW: Glad the rents are keeping the cheezy-sleazy stores away. You the consumer can choose to walk a few blocks off State Street and patronize any business you want. No sense demonizing State Street landlords. it's the market, baby.
MESA	2012-10-08 03:33 PM
I want candy!!!!
COMMENT 329382	2012-10-08 03:34 PM
What about that candy store at the pier? They're good!
COMMENT 329383	2012-10-08 03:37 PM
Robitaille's in Carpinteria is a nice option.
COMMENT 329389	2012-10-08 03:43 PM
It's a record; 16 posts before the topic turned to rents and landlords.
COMMENT 329393P	2012-10-08 03:49 PM
Chocolats du Cali Bressan (in Carp & on State St) along with Robtailles in Carp are my favorites. Both are run by local families.
COMMENT 329394	2012-10-08 03:51 PM
It's true, rents in SB are geared for big corporations by smaller corporations and wannabe Aristocrats. How much real estate between Rincon and Gaviota is actually owned by people who live in the County?
COMMENT 329396	2012-10-08 03:53 PM
Sweet Alley in IV!
COMMENT 329402	2012-10-08 04:04 PM
World Market for some of the retro candies.
COMMENT 329406P	2012-10-08 04:09 PM
I hate to say this but Kmart actually had a very large candy selection fairly cheaply priced.
COMMENT 329410	2012-10-08 04:14 PM
Oh, I forgot World Market has retro candy! And I just remembered that Michael's (yep, the craft store) has some retro & oddball candy, too (Hello Kitty, Halloween themed stuff, Sixlets, Mary Janes, etc).
COMMENT 329433	2012-10-08 04:52 PM
cvs has a horrible selection of candy, and doesnt carry some of the classic candy like kingstons did. kingstons also carried every wonka candy and sold a lot of things individually, so you dont have to buy the huge bags at cvs. i personally will miss kingstons and i definitely did NOT find their prices astronomical
COMMENT 329441	2012-10-08 05:09 PM
Costco has a good selection. If you prefer See's, they have discounted gift certificates for See's.
NATURE BOY	2012-10-08 05:17 PM
Sweet Alley in Isla Vista is great if you want retro candies like the ones you grew up with! Stuff like Pop Rocks, Charleston Chew, Bazooka, candy necklaces, candy cigarettes, Zagnut, etc. Independent & locally owned too!!
KDEF	2012-10-08 05:31 PM
The Chocolate Gallery at 5705 Calle Real, Goleta, CA 93117
COMMENT 329455P	2012-10-08 05:41 PM
She was waaay too agressive. Every time I went to buy I received a BIG sales pitch about thier inventory. Will miss them tho. Violet Crumbles are rare...makes me sad.
COMMENT 329456	2012-10-08 05:43 PM
I second the Chocolate Gallery.
COMMENT 329459	2012-10-08 05:53 PM
Wow! We all love candy! Tomorrow someone will be looking for the best dentist in town "again"!
COMMENT 329461	2012-10-08 06:02 PM
@455, good news for you...you can get Violet Crumbles at Cost Plus/World Market! They have them all the time! And also at Indo China in the Kmart shopping center! You're welcome, and happy munching!! :)
COMMENT 329467P	2012-10-08 06:17 PM
461 - many thanks! Off to get my fix of Violet Crumbles soon!
COMMENT 329469P	2012-10-08 06:21 PM
Chocolats du Cali Bressan - sublime quality and flavor, period. I am planning a chocolate tasting on a vintage railcar next year and they will certainly be featured on the tasting list.
COMMENT 329473	2012-10-08 07:07 PM
@467p, if the Violet Crumbles are all sold out, I'll know why! :)
COMMENT 329479	2012-10-08 07:18 PM
Chocolats du Cali Bressan hands down - The man is incredible. We have toured France, Germany, Italy, Belguim, and Switzerland in search for amazing chocolate confection - we have it right in our own backyard !
RLMCDON	2012-10-08 07:22 PM
Another vote for Chololats du CaliBressan, if that's the kind of candy your looking for (ultra-high-end truffles, bon-bons and caramels). See's doesn't even come close - it's not even fair to compare the two. It's like comparing Hersey's and Godiva.
COMMENT 329485	2012-10-08 07:50 PM
See's is much better than Cali-Bresson. See's has a more refined, pure flavor, pure ingredient taste. Cali-Bresson is gimmicky with eccentric flavor combinations, and not worth the major difference in price.
COMMENT 329493P	2012-10-08 09:00 PM
@372 I got a kick out of your comment that See's "only has" licorice, chocolate. When was the last time you went into a See's Candy store? Apricot, coconut, orange, maple nut, Tipperary--have I forgot any flavors?--all bonbons. There are many flavors of lollipops, truffles with and without chocolate. See's even sells its own brand of chocolate chips for baking (harshly expensive, but I'll bet they're great). There's peanut brittle, toffee-ettes, on and on. Yum. See's wins, hands down. Too bad it's up to $16.90 per pound (see Costco tip earlier in thread, for less costly gift certificates). I remember when the lollipops were two for a nickel (!) (in the 50s) and one pound of their candy was $2.00. (or was it $2.45?)
SDP	2012-10-08 09:50 PM
Robitaille's in Carpinteria is the best! It's like a real old-fashioned candy shop and it makes me feel like a kid again every time I go. I just went to the Avocado Fest last weekend for the first time in 3 years and Robitaille's was high on the priority list while we were there.
COMMENT 329510P	2012-10-09 07:13 AM
We get our All Sorts at Vices and Spices. They have a small but nice candy selection, which you buy by weight, scooped out of bins.
ROGER DODGER	2012-10-09 07:19 AM
When I knock on your door and yell "Trick or Treat" I don't want candy I want cold hard cash!
COMMENT 329517	2012-10-09 07:25 AM
For those of you that like Violet Crumble...Robitaille's has Honeycomb and it is yummy!!
MESAJIM	2012-10-09 08:09 AM
Can't believe no one has mentioned the place out on the Wharf...excellent selection, reasonably priced per pound, and free parking with validation. Not to mention a nice view!
CORKY	2012-10-09 08:22 AM
Chocolate Gallery is excellent, but Sees is my favorite for price and quality.
COMMENT 329547	2012-10-09 08:35 AM
Re: 380 - high commercial rents attract cheezey sleazy businesses. Corporations, with no connection to the area, are about the only organizations that can afford the rents, the triple nets and the build outs anymore. IMO the boring malling of State Street keeps customers away and makes space for the idle, the troubled and/or the criminal; property owner greed is where the problems of State Street begin not end.
COMMENT 329562	2012-10-09 09:08 AM
chocolate Maya
COMMENT 329566	2012-10-09 09:30 AM
Sweet Alley in Isla Vista is great and lots of fun for kids.
COMMENT 329574	2012-10-09 09:52 AM
My Sweet Pineapple next to the Arlington has some vintage candy and taffy. Even in the old barrels. Sarah, the owner, has always gone out of her way to be helpful and friendly.
RAINE5360	2012-10-09 10:32 AM
Chocolate Gallery on Calle Real (near Trader Joes) has no peer, not even the expensive European boutique style places. Hand made and fresh....my family will eat nothing else and I ship it to my kids when it's cool enough to do so. Chains do not compare. That said, it's mostly chocolate though they do carry jelly beans, gumdrops, and a few other things. They also have a sugar free line.
COMMENT 329625	2012-10-09 12:07 PM
Veering off-topic but, is not the tenant being greedy when claiming the landlord is greedy. The tenant wants a better deal than the going rate? That is being greedy in my book. Demanding that better rental rate and slurring the landlord at the same time does not sound like a good business plan.
COMMENT 329696	2012-10-09 02:40 PM
Chocolats du Cali Bressan in the Arcadia on State Street and in Carp. Google them and see their fantastic array of to die for candy. My personal favorite is the Budda. We gave each guest (150) of our daughter's wedding a piece.
NMEYER	2012-10-09 04:42 PM
Sarah Kingston's candy store was delightful...she offered a fun and unique variety of candies, sodas, gifts - nostalgic brands and many others not easily found locally. Her gift baskets were amazing - customized for all occasions and needs. Sarah loved her business and her customers...she was all about customer service, working very long hard hours, and always with a cheerful attitude and warm gracious smile. Running a small business in any economy is a challenge with a high degree of risk...growing and keeping a business in this particular economy is daunting, sometimes treacherous, and completely unpredictable - even for the most savvy and experienced. Congratulations to Sarah and her staff for giving their very best each day they opened their front door. San Roque Plaza will miss Kingston Candy Company - as will their customers!!