OMG Candy Store opens in downtown Charleston

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Downtown Charleston is home to a new boutique sweet shop, as OMG Candy Store unofficially opened Saturday.

The business hasn’t held a grand opening, but co-founders Natalia Koretzky and Orit Deverell said they felt it was the right time to welcome customers in, even as they continued working on finishing touches.

“People kept walking by the door just to see if we’re open, especially with the giant lollipops that we have outside to draw people in,” Koretzky said. “So we just decided to open the doors and work as we’re open. We had maybe 100 people in and out that first day, some of them coming in just to wish us good luck.”

Plans to open OMG Candy Store had been in place for a little over a year. The store was originally set to debut April 1, but the pandemic caused delays in labor and shipment of materials.

“All of our candy bins inside the drawers are made of acrylic,” Koretzky said. “It (acrylic) was in such a high demand when the virus started because it can be used as a Plexiglas in front of the register. It’s one of the only barriers that you can use that’s see-through.”

Though the store is still waiting on some merchandise and custom-made fixtures, such as a multitiered lollipop display wall, the team of eight staff members has taken steps to ensure customers’ safety.

Merchandise is sanitized regularly, and the store will provide hand sanitizer, gloves and clean serving utensils, such as scoops and tongs. Masks will also be provided to those who want them, but they are not required to enter the store.

Koretzky said the store, located at 316-B King St., is built to reflect downtown Charleston. They wanted a historical look, mimicked by the rows of library shelf-like candy drawers, but with a modern and clean twist in the white-and-gold color scheme and high ceilings, which gives the shop the illusion of being much larger.

Plans for the store include selling prepackaged cheesecake bites and gelato, offering candy catering and party package services, and providing 30-minute validated parking for customers.

Deverell said plans for a second location are also in the works.

“Everything we have done along the way had the franchise concept in mind, to allow investors a ready concept with all the tools to be successful,” Deverell said. “It has taken us a long time to finally open doors, but we are very proud to be a women-owned business in the Charleston area.”

OMG Candy Store replaces Lush Cosmetic, which now has a single Lowcountry location in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre. Current hours at OMG are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but Koretzky said hours might change as they observe trends in customer traffic.