Smeeks

GONE. I went to Union today and there was no Smeeks to be seen.
It seems that when shops secede from Union, they also post no future address (lots of «coming soon» signs on empty booths today), so I don’t even know.

Smeeks is a cool little candy and nick-​nack shop in The Union at Biltmore.
We ended up here looking for random gifts to hand out, and left with a couple boxes of assorted taffy. The shop, like all others at The Union is rather small, just large enough to fit 5 or 6 customers. They’ve got limited space to work with, but fill it with some really great, fun, and throwback candy selections. I wanted to play with half the stuff in the shop, but my wallet didn’t want to go home with anything else this particular day.
The adults will all come running, after you stop in for candies, treats, and sweets; they’ve got some goodies you don’t normally see most anywhere else. (Insert your own crude joke about a dark van, random middle aged adults grabbing after your taffy, and/​or walking dogs here). I’m scared if I write one myself, I might just get shunned from the inner circle of humanity. ;-)
Happy Unilocaling Phoenix — and please, don’t go up to random vans with strangers handing out assorted taffy!

I’m not trying to be a grinch here, and I really wanted to like this place a lot, but it just wasn’t what I was looking for. It’s been moved into «The Union» in the Biltmore, and it’s itty bitty. It’s definitely charming, but a lot of their products are just silly (fuzzy pink stick-​on mustaches for girls… like, what?) and not really vintage. I also hoped for a bulk-​bin selection, so I was a little disappointed by that. No gummy coke bottles for me, but they did have bulk saltwater taffy and candy sticks in a good variety of flavors. I left without buying anything, because I just wasn’t feelin’ it.
Sorry dudes, maybe I’ll go back another time and see what awaits.

Smeeks moved, it is in Arcadia now. Which totally blows but is probably better for them.
I can only imagine the number of bleached out douchebagettes that are ‘discovering’ it now… tear from me for anything arcadian (wannabe scottsdale, which is so sad since snottsdale is such a haven for wannabe millionaires).

Home of the quirky, and unusual candies, we stepped into Smeeks as we were browsing through the Union section of the Biltmore. The space is small, but they can pack in a lot of sweets in this store, as well as novelty items. Hard, soft, chewy, candies, international sweets (Including British chocolates), in all shapes and sizes are here. There is a wall of magnets on one of the walls where you can snicker at some of the funny and cute designs. My friend couldn’t resist and got a «Pooquito» magnet for her sister. They also have salt water taffy, sold individually or in bulk.

Great local candy shop that has lots of old favorites!
Whenever I’m bored, I find myself perusing Smeeks, snacking on the free delicious taffy given out at the entrance of the store. I also love love love that Smeeks offers fun goodies and off the wall knick knacks, but careful– they can get $$.
Great place to spend 30 minutes or so!

Smeeks! In little cupcake section, I saw cupcake flavored chapstick and toothpaste and wrapping paper covered in child sweets. I must say something about The bacon spot. Bacon flavored candies, a bacon wallet, bacon wrapping paper, bandages, candy bacon necklace candy, rare sodas, and just random toys & all good stuff. Really nice shop for candy and charming place for your children too.
Candy bacon necklace candy is my first choice.
I really really !! fan of this place. I love to be there.

Vintage sodas sold by bottle, all of your grandmother’s favorite childhood candy, an abundance of gag gifts and novelty items… you just can’t dislike this place. Each time I’m in, I spend a good hour just perusing the countless Fred & Friends products and debating whether or not I should buy the stick-​on-​mustaches or 10 of the Chinese finger traps.
But, let’s be honest here. I mostly go for the photo booth. By far the best photo booth in town… good quality pictures (not cheap like the ones inside the mall) and they have little masks, glasses, and mustaches-​on-​a-​stick you can use in case you’re tired of flashing the peace sign or making that horrendous duck face.
Soda. Candy. Toys. Photo booth. Don’t kid yourself. You’re never too old for that ish.

SMEEEKS! I do love this place. It’s a great place to find fun knick-​knack toys and it has lots of fun candy to choose from. It’s great because a lot of the candy is more old fashioned — it feels like you’re in an old-​school candy store.
The staff is nice and they always have lots of sodas to choose from to go along with your candy.
They are a little more expensive than going to walmart to pick up some candy, but they are a local store! I love to support local and recommend you do too!

Yowza!!! How have I not been in this shop til now?! From the moment I walked through the door I was cracking up.
It’s totally a novelty/​nostalgia lovers paradise. For starters, they have tons of candies (old school and new and even some local). I felt like a kid in a candy store… wait, I WAS a kid in a candy store!
Along the wall I found magnets. Tons of magnets, all of which had something clever or hilarious on them. There was the «Grow Up To Be Gay» magnet set, a magnet of the early 90’s hunks A.C. Slater and Zach Morris (Saved By The Bell… duh), there were magnets with cupcakes and Einstein and everything in between. Next, I moved to the little cupcake section, where I found cupcake flavored chapstick and toothpaste and wrapping paper covered in happy little sweets. Then came the bacon spot. Bacon flavored candies, a bacon wallet, bacon wrapping paper, bandages, candy bacon necklace, a «funky fresh» bacon scented air freshener for the car!
I’ll give you a moment to collect yourself…
Next we move on to the mustachery. Finger staches, different celebrity staches to stick on your face, pink ones and skinny John Waters-​esque staches. There were even ones to put on your drink, say at a party, to make sure you know which bev is yours. Love it!
I couldn’t believe my eyes at all the greatness… novelty ice cube trays, party favors, sparklers, accent sprays (like for your mouth… for a «gay» or Irish accent lolz).
They even have a photo booth in the store, just in case you weren’t having enough fun looking at all the wares! The dude at the counter was super nice:)
Smeeks, we shall reunite soon!

If you like candy/​novelty stores, and you also like showing your friends how much cooler you are than the rest of them, Smeeks is gonna be heaven for you.
Call me a snob, but they just don’t make American chocolate like they used to. Grab a CANADIAN Kit Kat, along with some other chocolate bars from our neighbors to the north. Aerated candy bars need to be the next craze here. As for other candies, take a look at all of the retro stuff. Nothing but old school sweets.
You can even wash that down with a refreshing drink. I got the lemonade… or, the Le-​MAINE-​ade, sweetened with pure maple syrup.
If you want shiny toys for a kid, you can find perfect gifts here. Give ‘em something like a kaleidoscope. Little ones still think those are cool, right?
One funny observation: All the mustaches. :-p

Pretty much a candy/​novelty shop for adults.
You’ve got your tried and true wooden yo-​yos, American and Canadian candy bars (several are labeled «Vegan»), and stick-​on handlebar mustaches, and then your finer array of smutty party favors, satirical packages of ramen noodles, and tons of nifty things I can’t remember off the top of my head.
As my boyfriend puts it, «It’s a classier, less douchy Spencer’s Gifts.»
For the L.A. folks, it’s like Wacko’s opened a turn-​of-​the-​century candy kitchen in Arizona.
As mentioned, they do carry your usual suspects (Butterfinger, Kit-​Kat, etc) when it comes to nourishing your sweet tooth, but they also carry many of the vintage candies your parents might remember (Zagnut, Idaho Spud, etc). There’s literally buckets of candy with their name and country of origin printed on each container.
However, the real thing to get here are the local-​sourced, handmade treats you can only get in select places — Tracy Dempsey Originals, Goodytwos Toffee, and Whimsical Candy. These are the suckers you pay top dollar for and hide from the kids, savoring it for yourself once the rugrats have gone to bed.
Picked up a 4 oz. bag of Tracy Dempsey’s Bacon-​Pecan Brittle for $ 10. I will start by saying that it’s not bad, but it’s not my favorite brittle. It’s the kind that’s hard and gets lodged in your molars. But unlike many other products that brag about bacon being an ingredient within them and you end up not really tasting it, you can definitely taste the bacon. Hell, you can see it right there in the brittle. I do caution against leaving it in the car on a hot day, though. Not that it ruined the brittle or spoiled the bacon, but for the fact that it made the car smell like dog treats all day.

As soon as I walked into this store I started having a good time!
This old school candy store has tons and tons of delicious candy to browse and choose from, everything from marshmallows and lollipops to gumballs and chocolate bars. In addition to the yummy candy, there are multiple quirky knicknacks to browse and buy for a unique birthday/​Christmas/​just-​cause-​i-​like-​you gifts. Pins, Pens, Cutting boards, cookie cutters, toys, and funny shaped ice cube trays hang from floor to ceiling across the wall. This store is small, but you spend so much time looking at each and every item. There is also an old fashioned photo booth with a few props to choose from if you want to stop and smile for the camera.

This is possibly the most entertaining store I’ve ever set foot in.
Every time I go to Smeek’s, I’m drinking cream soda, wearing a finger tentacle, holding a bag full of vegan chocolate bars, and taking pictures in a photobooth, within minutes. Plus, It’s so hipster I can’t even convey how hipster it is (except maybe to say that there are a plethora of mustache-​themed items and vintage candies lining the walls). Either way, it’s trendiness and gourmet treats make it just as much fun for big kids, if not more fun, than it is for little kids.
The only reason I don’t give Smeek’s that coveted fifth star, even though I only have good things to say… is because it’s overpriced. If penny candies weren’t dead before, they are now. Get ready to whip out a $ 20 if you want a decent amount of sugar and a photobooth session. If you venture into the novelties, just put it on the credit card and stop thinking about prices altogether. Don’t be completely off-​put by the thought of pricey fun things, though. I have you know that that finger tentacle was worth every penny.

Smeeks is my happy place.
After one visit I was hooked, and now I get nearly all of my gifts, treats and goodies at this amazing Phoenix candy shop. The colorful décor, fun atmosphere and amazing staff make Smeeks a rare find.
With a wide variety of sugary treats, fun games and gifts and the perfect accessories to help you celebrate (a confetti cannon and sparklers are among my weaknesses), Smeeks is the perfect combination of sugary sweetness, downtown hip and good old-​fashioned great business.
I will be returning to Smeeks for gifts, treats and a good time for years to come. YUM!

I needed to purchase a birthday gift for my new brother-​in-​law, who is a Frenchmen, God help us all.
Walking into Smeeks, you really cannot help but smile. (BTW, if Smeeks does not make you happy, you either torture cats, or have dismembered body parts in your freezer.)
The store is warmly lit, and really well thought out. As other reviewers have mentioned, the store is not 100% candy, it’s more like ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ candy and novelty items. While some may view that as a negative, I thought it was great because you will find such fun items, that cannot be found elsewhere.
In addition to buying some of my beloved Zotz candy, I picked up a cool toast stamper, which you basically press this plastic form onto a piece of bread, then pop it in the toaster. When the bread pops up from the toaster, you have a piece of art, in this case– the Eiffel tower!
It’s really just a fun store, with great selection. Because it is a boutique, the prices are higher than you would find at WallyWorld, but that is how things work. You will not be able to find much of the candy anywhere else, so things cost a bit more. Never fear, you can still purchase candy without refinancing your car and home.
Customer service is alive and well at Smeeks. When I went to check out, the employee was super friendly and answered my questions. She even offered to gift wrap Frenchie’s gifts, and she did a great job, the gift looked like a movie prop when she was done.
Smeeks will definitely be in my short list for fun gifts, and great candy. It’s wonderful to see another small business succeed in the 602. Support local business and have a great time. Well done Smeeks.

Nice. Smeeks is one of those places where kids go to because they like the candy, and it’s a place that adult go to so they can see candy they’ve haven’t seen in a store in 30 years. There’s lots of old-​fashioned and new-​fangled sweets in here, along with a few toys tossed in. The colors in here are bright and attractive, and there’s so much to look through that it will be difficult to leave here without dropping $ 20+.
The only weird thing here is parking. You need to maneuver around the back parking lot where the entrance is in order to get into the place – not very intuitive, but once you get there, the extra effort is worth it. Smeeks rocks – if you’re visiting Phoenix from out of town, don’t pass up an opportunity to visit this place. While you’re here, check out Red Hot Robot next door too.
If you actually live in the Valley and haven’t gone to Smeeks yet, I highly recommend that you at least try this place once – just don’t tell your kids about it or they’ll be trying to drag you over there every week.

Go here! If you don’t leave a little bit happier & lighthearted then you’re the Grinch incarnate.
I want to come back when I have more time. I didn’t realize they were closing in 15 min when we pulled up at 5:45. It was a spur of the moment visit to check out a new place.
I walked in and…
«Ohhh» *giggle*
«Ahhhh» *sigh*
«Look!» *squeal*
I could feel myself reverting back to being 6 or 7 & being overwhelmed by goodies of all kinds. The lunch boxes caught my eye right away. I wish I could go back to grade school & be the kid with the coolest lunch box ever!
I watched a young boy who was about 9 almost frantically decide what he wanted. His mom told him he could get 1 thing. Man, the look on his face! There’s just SOOO much to choose from. Poor kid lol
My friend & I checked out the photobooth pics on the wall. Funny! I wanted to do the photobooth but my friend didn’t :(I’m the adventurous one.
Some of their prices are ridiculously cheap. 5 cents here, 25 cents there… Other things I thought, «I wouldn’t pay $ 2.50 for a candy bar I can get anywhere.»
I bought a sour green apple & a peppermint stick. 50 cents each! nom nom nom
My friend found a pin button he liked. Those are $ 1.
Great little place. Just by the outside you feel like you’re going to walk into Candyland come to life. Makes me think this is the PG version of Easley’s with tons of new school & old school candy.

Dear Smeeks,
I am really sorry it took me so long to make my way in to check you out, but you were totally worth the wait! I literally felt like a kid in a candy store when I walked in. I didn’t know where to start… all of your merchandise is so fun! I made my way around solo at first, and then Julia, who by the way was dressed super cute in a colorful outfit, gave me a tour as well.
I escaped without breaking the bank, although it took some major willpower. For $ 17.21 out the door, I bought a handmade chocolate filled cherry candy cane, a tin of egg nog flavored bubblegum, a bag of sugar free cinnamon cubbies, and a unique duck pen that lights up and quacks! Other things that I may have to return for in the near future:
–Hello Kitty stuff… lots of it!
–Stickers, stickers, and more stickers
–caramel corn
–lunchboxes
–all kinds of candy
–fun baking accessories including really cool cupcake liners
–so much more!
While I was there, I noticed other shoppers enjoying themselves just as much, if not more than me… both kids and adults. Sweets, Treats, & Novelty Items — there is something at Smeeks for everyone!
It may have taken me a few months to make my way in, but I’ll be back again soon, Smeeks. After just one visit, you’ve become my go-​to candy boutique!
Sincerely,
Gabi

They had a BABY JESUS pencil topper set!!! OMG, I think I died and went to heaven.
Plus they had a photo booth and pirate cupcake wrappers, and oh yeah, they had candy. I found it to be a novelty store that happened to sell candy and other eccentric knick knacks. But whoa, what a bunch of poor reviews I see here. I found Smeeks to be a delight. The scene on a Saturday afternoon was kind of a mob scene — about a dozen or so people kind of crowded the place.
I spent $ 5 on my Baby Jesus pencil toppers and found prices on other things to be just right — it’s an independent local business selling specialty goods, people.
So go ahead — spend your money at another chain to save a buck, kwitcherbitchin and move to Buckeye. Thank you. The End.