Freak Lunchbox

If you miss any candy from your childhood go here. If you miss something from the U.S. Go here. Just be careful as it gets expensive quick. But they have a few. Candy bars I’ve only seen in the U.S., they have 5 pound gummy bears, and vanilla coke a cola.
For candy that we have here already it might be cheaper at the grocery store, so stick to exotics.

I recall the days when I was a wee lass in the 80s, with $ 2 in my pocket, walking from my grandma’s house to the general store in Glenavon, SK to by a stash of candy.
Freak Lunchbox brought back some memories of candy I haven’t seen since that time. Ahhh, nostalgia.
This place is a candy wonderland filled with everything your heart desires. Gummies, chocolate bars, gag items and more. Even cases of Tahiti Treat. I mean, I haven’t seen that since the vending machine of my high school!
It was a fun place to take the kids for some offbeat treats and stroll down memory lane.
After filling our loot bags, I also snagged a case of Cherry Coke which I only tend to get on trips to the U.S. Despite the price, which I admit I choked a bit and it lost a star because of it, was nice to be able to find it locally. As for the price tag, I guess that is what you have to expect when shopping for candy in the trendiest part of Calgary.
All I can say is the place must be pretty darn good if the kids choose a trip to Freak Lunchbox over a trip to the zoo.
And now, after munching on some loot, I must relax and bring on the diabetic coma.

When I walk into Freak Lunchbox, I’m like a kid in a candy store! *crickets*
Terrible jokes aside, this place is wicked awesome. The first time I walked in, I was reminded of all the convenience stores that had the bulk candy, and how great it was when your parents said you could bring some home with you. I was reminded of all the great candy I loved such as cherry cola bottles, lego candies, marshmallow strawberries and more.
They also have lots of quirky merchandise that could make for some great gag gifts for someone. Not gonna lie, I like to browse them just to get a few laughs. They also sometimes sell Cherry Coke and Vanilla Coke, which is pretty awesome. As a lover of Vanilla Coke, when I saw they had it, I was on it like a fat kid on cake. Wow, I’m on fire tonight!
The staff are all friendly and upbeat, which adds to the experience. Great little shop with a wonderful selection of candy and merchandise.

I sometimes have a sweet tooth and sometimes I cannot help but go into an amazing candy store that also sells novelties items!
The employees here are (excuse the pun) sweet and helpful. I haven’t walked in once without being greeted and asked if there was anything special I was looking for.
Selection wise, this place is awesome. There were a couple things I was questing for but didn’t find — however I just replaced them with the other wonderful treats! (MINT M&Ms PEOPLE!!)
Needless to say, I’m sweet on Freak.

Candy is great, but candy is awesome when it’s close to midnight and your stumbling through 17^th ave drunk with a few of your friends.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to this place sober or during the day. The selection is supreme and you truly feel like a kid at a candy store.

What a unique and kitschy place on 17^th. Walked in for a quick browse, and so my husband could get some Vanilla Coke! I loved all the choices, and the trip down memory lane.

In Edmonton we had Coney Island on Whyte avenue but then it moved out to the airport. Freak lunchbox could be their twin.
What I loved about this place is that it is all done by weight. You can mix and match whatever is in the bins and they weigh it to give you a price.
Some of my childhood favourites were available; Cherry and Vanilla Coke and the silver Cola Balls. There is a great selection of US candy bars that are hard to find and some really great novelty items.
When my husband had visited previously they also carried the «bug» candy. Unfortunately I didn’t see it on this visit.
I wish I would have taken pictures during my visit. The décor is very «carnival» themed. (hence the «Freak» in the name!)
Thankfully they have parking located in a private lot behind the store because 17^th has very little free parking available.
The store was neat and tidy and the staff was very patient with all of the small children with the sugar rushes running around the store.
We will be back next time we are in town.

I wish I could give more than 5 stars! This place rocks. I visited a location in Halifax a few years ago when I visited my best friend and loved the place. Friendly staff, more candy that anyone could want or crave, cute gag gifts… The list is endless. When I saw one opened here I had to check it out and I was NOT disappointed! ! I tell everyone I can about this place and I even drive people there to check it out. I spend at least $ 50 when I go there and I don’t regret a cent of it. It nails every craving you could have and some cravings you didn’t even know you had. Great Staff! Awesome location! Fun and funky inside. And nice and clean. Always a good time. Worth a visit!

Was walking by and the Cherry coke caught my eye so I stepped inside. Cool store with lots of candy that will take you back to your childhood. In the mood for jelly beans? They have a selection of scoop yourself Jelly Belly. I noticed cool Pez dispensers, and lots of interesting tins of mints. Service was ok, but the staff didn’t seem too enthused to help customers.
I came for the Cherry coke for $ 2.19 (or a case for $ 15) and left without any candy but if I’m craving for something next time, I know where to go.

If you are having a craving for any sort of candy, this is the place to come. They have a ton of bins of bulk items. There were things here that I’ve never even seen or heard of.
Psychedelic butterflies? Yep
Techno gummy bears? You betcha
Sour octopuses? No doubt
I was very glad that I could stock up on a few Payday bars and give a Cadbury Flake a try which I’ve been wanting to do for a while.
The only thing missing here for me was customer service. The staff behind the counter were chatting with themselves the whole time and didn’t even give me so much as a «hello» the whole time.

Usually when you hear the word «Freak» it’s synonymous with a negative connotation. But in this case, Freak is a great thing!
After I stopped hyperventilating (from being surrounded by equally excited people and the humongous amounts of candy), I was able to browse around (Part of me thinks this is what Honeydukes from Harry Potter would be like)
The first thing that caught my eye was the display of Vanilla and Cherry Coke by the door (apparently only obtainable in the US) and then the novelties and toys. I slowly browsed through all the candy looking at literally everything — variety of 5 cent candies, chocolate bars and random things like tequila worm suckers.
My first instinct was to grab fistfuls of candy and shovel them into my mouth — buuuuuut I figured I’d never be welcomed back if I acted in such a manner. So I civilly scooped a few gummies into a bag and grabbed a dark chocolate Kit Kat and went on my way.
I don’t know how you could not love this place (unless maybe you hate life), it’s a childhood dream come true!

NO less than a 5 star for this place.
Open til 11pm? 8pm closing on Sundays?! Clean as a whistle? Cherry and Vanilla Coke for sale? WOW!
Bopping to blaring 80’s music when you are shopping for candy in a cleverly fun environment where even the staff love what they are doing?!
I had a blast, got my fill of any and all fresh candy I could ever want — for now. This place had everything!
Awesome, large location on 17^th in a store where you are not bumping into everyone else inside.
Parking on the street on this occasion was easy and I cannot wait to come back!

This is SUCH a cute store.
Some friends, my husband, and I were walking down to Fiore’s for some dinner and the colors in Freak Lunchbox drew me in like a moth to a flame. Not even getting to the edible stuff… the décor is just adorable and funky and loud. Even the ceilings are decorated with candy boxes. A giant E.T. sits in the window, and there is a sign in back that reads «Piggies will be punished– no tasting» accompanied by a cute cartoon pig.
The candy selection is really vast, though they don’t have cherry Jelly-Belly’s which I thought was kind of basic. Especially if they have weird ice-​cream flavored ones. Meh.
Their milkshakes are sooo good. You can mix up to three flavors, from vanilla, orange, banana, raspberry, strawberry, chocolate, espresso, nutella, peanut butter, creamsicle… My husband and one friend of ours got peanut-​butter/​nutella/​banana which tasted like an amazing elementary school lunch sandwich. Our other friend got raspberry/​nutella which was like fancy chocolate covered berries. I got creamsicle because, really, why mess with perfection.
I super recommend going to Freak Lunchbox. The atmosphere is great, it has delicious sweets, and a really surprisingly good soundtrack.

LOVE!!! Sunday afternoon, the hubs and I were doing a stroll on 17^th Ave and I told him we had to check this store out. So in we go, it wasn’t too busy, which was nice, it’s pretty small so I could see elbows being thrown. HAHA.
We did a tour of the store first, checked out the old school candy, the gag toys etc. Obviously we stocked up on the walls on 5 cent candies they had. I was super pumped you could get your candy in a Chinese food box. Anyone that knows me, knows my obsession with food (preferably Chinese) coming on those boxes.
We spent a good hour in the store, ensuring our picks and what not. The staff was chipper and friendly, I mean you work in a candy store, I would hope you’re in a good mood.
I will be back, a lot!

Freak Lunchbox helped me to fulfil a longstanding childhood fantasy of mine:
To buy ALL THE CANDY.
I bought everything I wanted! The lady behind the counter was so cheerful, I love the music they play on the stereo, and most of all, I loved the feeling of whimsy in the air. I was surrounded by other people probably playing out a similar fantasy of buying all the candy they ever wanted.
All the candy I ever wanted :).
Thank you for existing, Freak Lunchbox. I would visit you just for the sole fact that you carry my favorite soda ever: Ramune.

Its been pretty much said by the other Unilocalers in their reviews, but this place just shouts FUN! They have a super colourful storefront that draws you in.
Inside has so much to look at, and even if you dont buy anything, its entertaining to just browse. There were so many items I hadnt seen in forever that brought back child hood memories, and some Ive never seen in Canada. until now.
The Luchbox is open late and is definately a place to stop by to put you in a good mood.
Im going back for dipped Cadbury Flake. DIPPED!!!

I finally had the opportunity to check out Freak Lunchbox over the weekend, and it certainly did not disappoint! I was blown away immediately at the amount of candy they offer, I had trouble figuring out where to start. My sister and I browsed on Thursday night for quite a while, watching a ton of drunk people come in and buy enormous bags of candies. This store literally has everything you could think of, and more — including a vast selection of 5 cent candies, Asian treats, strange chocolate bars, gag gifts, and my favourite — Jelly Bellies! Finally content with our purchases, we were rung through and skipped away in delight with candy filling our faces. I ended up coming back the next night after Taste of Calgary with the boyfriend, and spent another $ 25. I was in the area again on Saturday but decided not to go in, embarrassed that I would be ridiculed for being there 3 nights in a row like the fat little kid that I am (trapped in a tiny woman’s body). This place is totally DANGEROUS but a MUST DO for those that have a sweet tooth! Love it!

Awesome candy store. Excellent variety for kids and adults alike. Mario gummies, liquorice babies, sprinkled covered gummies, double salted liquorice (watch out for that one), chocolate cashews, hundreds of candies to chose from for thir candy mixes. The store is bright and fun to visit. Prices are reasonable have fun with your kids here but don’t forget to fill your own bag of treats.

FREAK LUNCHBOX IN CALGARY!?! YES!!!
Being from Halifax, I used to frequent this place in the downtown core. So many different candies, chocolate bars, and pez! Fun toys, knick knacks, lunchboxes, and more!
Pros:
So much awesometastic candy that you will lose your mind
Fun and friendly staff (just like home)
Cute and funny knick knacks and bacon flavoured stuff
Slushies!
Chocolate bars to blow your mind
Exciting décor that just brings you into the store
Cons:
Umm… none. :) Mmmmm candy.
Of course I will be back and I am so excited that Freak has come out from the East. Thank you!

Jessica and I have been importing Whatchamacallits and Sno-​Caps from the States for years. And when I say «importing,» I mean bringing stacks of them back any time we visit the US in order to stuff our faces in the weeks to follow (you wouldn’t believe how great Sno-​Caps are, mixed with popcorn, when you go to the movies).
We were in SHOCK with the selection of candy at Freak Lunchbox (which, of course, carried BOTH Whatchamacallit and Sno-​Caps).
Seriously, they have an incredible array of sweets, and feature a wide variety of kitschy, retro novelties that you won’t find anywhere else, especially in Calgary.
One of the most amazing things was that the price wasn’t astronomical either. As an example, I generally find Whatchamacallits for about $ 1.00 in the States. At Freak Lunchbox, they are something like $ 1.69. That is not much of a mark up, and well worth avoiding the hassle of importation.
Anytime I am craving a Whatchamacallit, I can now just mosey over to 17^th Ave and pick one up (or two. Or three. Or four).
Freak Lunchbox,
YOU. ARE. AWESOME.
Please stay open forever.
Love,
Dan