I love It's Sugar. Being from New York, I'm super familiar with it, and it's always been a go-to…read morespot to satisfy sweet cravings. I've been a fan of the licorice strings since I was a kid--my mom loves them, and now my son does too.
We went to the Atlantic Station location over the weekend--either Saturday or Sunday--and while the store itself is cute and colorful, the service left a lot to be desired. And honestly, it's not the first time I've had that experience there.
Sometimes you walk in and get great service, and other times it's just rude. And that matters, especially in a space that's made for kids and families. Good service should come standard in a customer-facing role.
This time, I went in with my mom and my 5-year-old son. He's pretty independent and knows how to go in and get his candy. When we got inside, he opened one of the candy containers to grab a bag and get his licorice strings. Nothing crazy.
Out of nowhere, one of the employees--a dark-skinned young lady with braids in pigtails--shouted across the store, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
It was loud, unnecessary, and completely uncalled for. My son froze, confused. I froze. My mom froze. We didn't know what was going on. She rushed over, didn't ask a single question, didn't clarify anything--just grabbed the entire candy container and walked it behind the register.
My son turned to me and said, "Mommy, what happened?" And I honestly didn't have an answer for him. He hadn't touched anything yet--he was just in front of the bin, doing what he always does.
And even if she thought he had touched the candy, there was a much better way to handle it. You don't shout across a store at someone's child--especially when the parent is right there. A simple, "Hey, could you help him with that?" would've been just fine.
It took everything in me to stay calm, because I was really upset. I didn't even want to buy anything after that. But we went ahead and got his licorice, and my mom picked up a few things. At the register, that same employee clearly picked up on my energy because her entire demeanor changed. But by then, the damage was done.
It's disappointing because I actually like this store. The candy selection is fun--it's not full of specialty candies, but it's bright and cute and great for kids. Still, the service is what makes or breaks it, and in this case, it really broke it.
This isn't the first time I've experienced this at this location, and honestly, I don't know if I'll be going back. If you do stop in, go for the candy. But don't expect much from the service.