Though it’s only four years old, Candycopia in Oak Park is set to let the world know its name.
On July 18, which is National Sour Candy Day, Candycopia will attempt to set the world record for the world’s largest sour candy tasting.
The attempt will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Ridgeland Commons, 415 Lake Street, in Oak Park and will also be a way to give back to the community, Candycopia co-owner Patrick Mason said.
“The Guiness World Record is really all about taking that experience that we’ve been doing in store and really sharing it communitywide and trying to make a big statement about how much people like sour candy.”
It will take 250 people to break the record, Mason said, and there will be three types of candies for those who sign up to try, but he’s aiming to have 400 people join.
Those who participate in the free event will receive a $5 Candycopia gift card.
To warm volunteers up, Mason said, they’ll start with a Cry Baby Sour Wax Bottle Mini Drink. Next, to turn it up a notch, they’ll eat a BUBS Sour Tutti Fruitti Rhombus. To cap it all off, participants will take on what is considered to be one of the world’s most mouth-puckering sour candies, Barnetts Mega Sour.
“I think we’ll get a lot of emotion and smiles for the first two bites, but that third bite is gonna be a lot of people writhing and hanging on tight,” Mason said.
The store just celebrated its four year anniversary recently and attempting the world record is another way to celebrate.
They typically host giveaways on their anniversaries, Mason said, and this year they held a buy four get one free deal for a weekend. In previous years, they’ve held a raffle for free candy for a year and giveaways on social media.
Candycopia is also launching an ultimate sour candy collection that features 15 different sour candies including two of the world’s sourest candies, Mason said.
An in-store “sour face showdown” will allow participants to compete for a $100 Candycopia gift card. Participants can visit either Candycopia location in Oak Park or in Elmhurst and get their photograph taken as they eat sour candy. The person with the best “pucker face” will receive the gift card.
“It’s a perfect time to just celebrate, like hey, we made this accomplishment as a business, but we wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for the customers,” Mason said.
After a few television appearances for other purposes in the past, Mason said attempting to break the world record just felt like the logical next step for Candycopia.
Being able to host large events in the community is the reason why Mason put on the event, he said. He isn’t necessarily doing it for the accolade, he said, but to get people to come together.
“We’re excited to gather all those people together and be able to do that and I think at the end of the day, it will feel like we’ve just created an opportunity for people to display something that they’re already passionate about or just create a shared moment with their family. And that’s the most meaningful part,” Mason said.
chardy@chicagotribune.com
