Announced this week in a press release, Allison Holley and Camille Alston will collaborate to open a new woman-owned small business called Lucky Rabbit Candy Shop in East Nashville. The co-owners combine their knowledge from owning local retail shops Apple & Oak and N.B. Goods, and together have dreamt up a nostalgic and approachable concept to open next month at 703 Porter Road.
Lucky Rabbit Candy Shop will be a micro shop corner store offering classic and current pre-packaged candy and sodas, joining both Holley and Alston’s businesses at the Shops at Porter East. According to the duo, the store will offer a variety of 300 to 400 different candies and sodas inside the intimate, purple-coated 240-square-foot shop.
What Now Nashville spoke with Holley and Alston about the excitement around the upcoming opening.
“I’m really excited to open something that the neighborhood doesn’t currently have,” Alston said in a phone call.
“Yesterday we had a few friends pop in who are getting married soon, and they were looking around at all the different candy we had just unpacked, they were telling each other stories, and she turned to her fiance and said ‘oh my gosh I’m learning so much about you!’ It reminded me of how candy can evoke memories and bring people together,” Holley shared.
Slated for a grand opening date of October 21, Lucky Rabbit will offer seasonal sweets, locally made treats, a variety of merch, foreign sodas, and nostalgic candy that you can’t find elsewhere in Nashville. Gluten-free and vegan options will also be available.
When asked about what their personal favorite candies are, Holley named Laffy Taffy and a nostalgic candy called Peachy Penguins that they’re trying to source for their inventory. Alston said anything sour and gummy is right up her alley.
If all goes well with the initial location, Holley and Alston may consider bringing the shop to additional locations and expanding to other neighborhoods in Nashville.
“We’re both business-minded owners and we always have marketing and branding on our minds. We’ve already surpassed our own expectations for this store, we’ve done a lot of things on the front end and although we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, there’s no reason not to think about expanding if this one does well,” Alston explained.
Customers can look forward to the shop being open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-7pm and Mondays from 11am-4pm.
