You’ll know you have arrived at the Pacific Sweet Shop when you see the 7-foot green alien.
The Sweet Shop, 310 N. Columbus St., in Pacific opened on May 30 and is owned by Brian and Kat McKanna.
The Sweet Shop has a walk-up window where customers can order prepackaged ice cream, candy, soda and toys.
Brian McKanna said the Sweet Shop is like an “ice cream truck on steroids.” The owners strategically planned their menu to only include items that are $5 or less.
The couple also own the Pacific Palace Airbnb in Pacific and the Twin River Cottage Airbnb in Eureka. McKanna said the building that houses the sweet shop was included in the Pacific Palace’s property.
“It came with this little building that actually used to be where the residents of Pacific would come and pay their electric bill,” McKanna said.
The pair initially rented the space to a massage therapist. However, once the tenant left, the couple decided to do something unique and fun with the space.
McKanna said he and his wife are entrepreneurs and are “big kids at heart” who love ice cream and candy, so they decided to turn the space into a sweet shop.
The couple painted the building to look like pink and blue ice cream that is melting down the side of the building.
The pair are also “paying homage” to his wife’s great-grandfather who owned an ice cream and candy store.
He said they tried to fill their menu with “unique products you don’t normally find in this area.” For example, the shop sells Cheerwine soda, something typically sold in the South, he said.
McKanna recommends that customers try the Frog Spit tube, which is a lemon-lime sorbet, a strawberry shortcake bar or the SpongeBob or Spider-Man pops.
The pair are hoping they can allow the community to get away from the craziness of the world and treat themselves to something sweet.
“Sometimes it just is nice to get away and buy yourself an ice cream or a treat and just have a little bit of sweets therapy,” McKanna said.
The Sweet Shop is open from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, and is closed on Mondays. For more information, visit pacificsweetshop.com.