Thrive
Pirate Candy Shop opens on Central Avenue
The company opened its first location in Tampa in November 2025.
Over the past few years, Swedish candy has become a viral sensation on platforms like TikTok. A variety of influencers have posted videos of shopping hauls.
Interestingly, filling bags with candy has been a Swedish tradition for years. It even has its own name, lördagsgodis, which translates to “Saturday sweets.” Families go to their local stores once a week to purchase their favorite treats.
Adam and Sol Lillhannus officially opened The Pirate Candy Shop, at 1614 Central Avenue, Sunday. This is the company’s first location in Pinellas County.
The approximately 850-square-foot space, previously home to Tabatha Exquisite Touch Salon, features over 100 different kinds of sweets.
These include gummies, chocolates and fudge. Some of the products are produced by BUBS, one of Sweden’s most popular candy brands.
Adam Lillhannus was born and raised in Sweden. For the business owner, the venture is a way to feel closer to home.
“I grew up with this candy,” he explained. “One day, my mom reached out to me and she’s like ‘Swedish candy is taking off on social media. Maybe you guys should jump on it.’”
One reason Swedish candy has become increasingly popular in the U.S. is its use of higher-quality ingredients. Many American options have artificial dyes and flavors. A majority of the Swedish treats are plant-based and use natural coloring.
“A lot of American candy is actually illegal in Europe,” Lillhannus said. “Europe has very strict regulations on ingredients. The colors need to be sourced from nature. So, the ingredients are made differently.”
To exemplify, he explained that Europe has a different version of Skittles than the U.S. While they cost “a few more cents per bag to make,” Lillhannus believes, the products “taste different.”
Customers creating their own pick and mix bags at Sunday’s grand opening.
Lillhannus and his wife have a background in marketing for medical aesthetics. People, he added, are becoming “more aware of what they put in their body.”
“Even parents who want a better option for their kids come to our shop,” Lillhannus continued. “People get aware of it.”
“I’m not going to say this will make you stronger or healthier,” Sol Lillhannus said. “We’re not claiming that, but we can say that this is the healthier option of candy.”
In 2024, the Lillhannus family first introduced the Pirate Candy Shop online. Eventually, they would create a pop up experience and attend local markets in Westchase and northwest Tampa.
The duo would open their first location in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village in November 2025.
“We actually have a lot of customers already that come to Hyde Park from St. Pete,” Adam Lillhannus said, “or they even order and we just ship it to their home in St. Pete.”
Swedish candy’s popularity has only helped the business grow. Even clients from Orlando have driven to Tampa to visit The Pirate Candy Shop. “There’s already customers looking for it,” he explained. “We are a destination shop.”
Lillhannus believes that the trend is long lasting. He said that more Swedish candy shops have opened in New York City over the past seven years.
“These flavors that we sell are flavors that my parents ate when they were kids,” Lillhannus explained. “These candies have been around for 40 or 50 years. They’re not going anywhere.”
The couple hope to open more stores in the future.
