Popular Spanish Candy Chain Opens on Lincoln Road

European candy chain Captain Candy has sailed across the sea from Spain to bring all of its sweet treasure to Miami. The candy store, which became popular in Europe, is now open on Lincoln Road where guests can find hundreds of barrels filled with gourmet candy.

It all started in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, when CEO and co-founder Gabriel Gjergji was growing restless during quarantine. For Gjergji, the new business would be a way to find peace in the midst of the world's stillness. So, after getting support from his family, especially his father, he opened his first Captain Candy store in May 2020.

His immediate success led him to open a second store only two months later in Madrid. Soon, he had to go back to college, so his father, who was in the jewelry business, became involved and took care of the stores so his son could get his degree. "At first he didn't really like the idea of candy and chocolate but the next year and a half I come back and there's nine stores," Gjergji tells New Times. "We started working and growing together, looking for new places to expand. After all the stores in Europe, I wanted to come to the U.S. and thought 'Why not Miami?' It's known everywhere, Lincoln Road specifically is a perfect fit for us because our store is very interactive. You come in, pick your candy, and then you can eat the candy while walking around."

When walking past the store, guests can see multiple barrels and treasure chests filled with "gold." Except, in this case, gold is candy galore. "Miami is a very vibrant and diverse city, and we have 120 different types of candy and chocolate from very different parts of the world," says Gjergji.

120 Varieties of Handpicked Gourmet Candy

All of the candy is handpicked by Gjergji and his team who are always on the lookout for new flavors. He tells New Times his team travels around the world to attend candy fairs and find innovative sweets to add to the collection.

All 120 varieties come in different shapes, sizes, and flavors. Forget the regular gummy bears and try a giant one instead, or giant bananas and the mega jumbo twist strawberry. For sour lovers, Gjergji recommends the mega jumbo sour watermelon, the sour golf ball, or the sour mango slices which are sure to become a popular choice in Miami.

A fruity option is the large fruit-shaped candy made of 51 percent fruit pulp and comes in different flavors such as pear and pineapple. Chocolate lovers can choose from choco boulders to classics like the choco caramel sea salt and milk choco marshmallow caramel. For those feeling adventurous, the shop sells spice drops candy.

"Our store offers different candy from very different parts of the world," he says. "You have a chance, basically, to try the sweets from Turkey, Italy, Spain, Belgium all here in Miami and figure out if you like it or not."

Guests can mix and match and pay at the counter by weight, which is $24.95 per pound. For now, Lincoln Road is the first Captain Candy store in the U.S. but Gjergji plans to expand its footprint with a new location in Aventura Mall this summer.

Captain Candy. 716 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; captaincandyspain.com.