This Classic NYC Candy Store Is 'The Most Impressive Nepo Baby Passion Project'
New York City is famous for many things within the culinary realm, like New York hot dogs and New York pizza. The city that never sleeps also has its share of fame when it comes to sweet things. An iconic candy store originally established in NYC is the product of, as one TikToker called it, "The most impressive nepo baby passion project" (per TikTok). Dylan's Candy Bar is a candy lover's paradise. It offers more than 7,000 types of sweets in a colorful setting inspired by the fictional Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The driving force behind the brand is Dylan Lauren, daughter of famed fashion designer Ralph Lauren.
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Dylan Lauren had some advantages breaking into the business world — being the child of a rich and famous fashion icon definitely didn't hurt. But she leveraged her own drive and creativity in establishing her candy kingdom. The entrepreneur has an art background and studied art history at Duke University. She utilizes her creative talents in her business, conceptualizing a special world where art and candy collide.
Much like the muse she channeled in creating her sugar empire — Willy Wonka — Dylan Lauren designed her candy emporiums to embody a child's imagination come to life. The colorful décor includes focal points like a giant lollipop tree, candy-studded steps on the staircases, and brightly colored candy wallpaper.
Following somewhat in the footsteps of her famous father, she has created Dylan's Candy Bar to go beyond a chain of sweet shops — it's a lifestyle brand that combines candy with fashion, art, and pop culture. In addition to selling treats and associated merchandise from across the globe, Dylan's Candy Bar offers its own logoed clothing, blankets, tote bags, toys, hair products, jewelry, and more.
A sweet enterprise that continues to grow
Dylan's Candy Bar is definitely a passion project for Dylan Lauren. In deciding to start her own company, she honed in on something she personally loves: candy. She wanted to create not just a candy store but a retail entertainment experience that would awaken childlike joy for both young and old. While she may be, strictly speaking, a nepo baby, she isn't a hands-off entrepreneur who leaves all the work to someone else. She designs many of the graphics on her products, for instance, and she's very involved in expanding and innovating.
In its evolution, her company has gone beyond just candy shops and has forayed into various additional avenues with its sweet offerings. The Dylan's Candy Bar brand now provides party services that include a staff of professional "candy connoisseurs" who serve guests from elaborate candy buffets. The brand offers a host of delectable custom products for corporate gifting, weddings, and other special occasions, like gift baskets, treat towers, party favors, centerpieces, and even edible place cards. There are even Dylan's Candy Bar candy cocktails.
While rooted in New York City and a noted shopping landmark there, Dylan's Candy Bar has been spreading across the country. As of August 2025, the brand has expanded outside of New York to also include shops in Los Angeles, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Whether you're looking for exotic sweets from other countries or old-school 1990s candy, you're likely to find it at a colorful Dylan's Candy Bar, which is noted as being the world's largest candy shop.