‘It’s next level’: Rare snack pop-up shop opens its doors off Locke Street
A corner store on steroids."
That's how Nelson Haines describes his new pop-up shop Junkies Rare Snack Express.
Nestled at the corner of Locke and Pine streets, the shop is unassuming - aside from the newly installed bright pink signage. You can't see anything from the outside, but take one step in the door and its immediate junk food overload.
Snacks typically not seen on Canadian shelves fill the shop.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Popcorn. Dippin' Dots Birthday Cake Cereal. Fruit Loop Pop Tarts. Blue Heat Takis. Sunkist Berry Lemonade Soda. Caffeinated Bubly waters. And that's just a sliver of the shop's selection.
It's next level," said Haines, who partnered with Dane Pirro to open the shop.
The origin story of Junkies dates back to 2017, said Haines.
The Hamiltonian got his passport late in life and started travelling to the United States. There, he got a taste for the snack-food options - and he was immediately addicted."
I thought it was really cool," said Haines. And I wanted to bring that home for myself and for my kids, my family and my friends."
Haines started travelling back and forth across the border more frequently, each time with a different haul of snacks and goodies . And soon, his coworkers caught on and wanted to buy snacks from him.
Seeing an opportunity, the entrepreneur opened Junkies as an online shop for a short time. But when COVID first hit, shipping delays slowed the business and it soon went dormant.
Brainstorming with Pirro, the pair landed on reviving the snack shop as a pop-up.
Set to open Wednesday at noon, junk food lovers will be able to shop in person or order some of their favourite goodies through UberEats.
Depending on supply and demand, the store will likely close and then reopen once they have more stock back in.
If all goes well, there are plans to bring the shop back for the long-term" starting this spring, he added.
We get a kick out of seeing people come in, smile and grab a snack they had years ago," he said. Seeing that excitement in people makes all the leg work worth it."
Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com