Now open: Sugarbaby Sweetshoppe in Los Altos

Along with the recent Rocket Fizz franchises in the area, this opening makes me wonder if sweets shops are a new trend (like Poke bars or Acai bowls).

If it's a trend, it's cyclical. Kiki's Candy Bar opened up in downtown Palo Alto in 2003 and subsequently moved out to a location right by US-101 in 2005. Shortly thereafter it went out of business.

I would say these candy shops have a 50-50 chance of lasting three years, less if they expand rapidly.

I don't eat candy these days apart from the infrequent bite of chocolate, but they sure are fun stores to browse.

Anyhow, best of luck to these folks.

"Trend," as in a cluster of related businesses of distinctive and closely related style. I could have cited other individual candy stores too that came and went, or individual restaurants of a given genre. But the Acai-bowl and Poke-bar trends are characterized (just like this current wave of sweets shops) by both multiple competing businesses setting up in sequence, and some of the competitors consisting of multiple-site franchises.

'The Palo Alto store will be the couple's second Rocket Fizz franchise. "We opened a store in Campbell last June. It's been so successful and fun that we wanted to bring it to Palo Alto," he said.' Web Link Both the Palo Alto and Campbell Rocket-Fizz locations are over three years old already, and it will be years before data exist for any conclusions about this new fashion's longevity, or if any more shops will open to get in on the "success and fun."

The Sweet Shoppe on Los Altos Ave is already an awesome place with frozen yogurt, a barista and lunch food for parents. Profits support the schools and kids can bike there. Not sure I think another one downtown is a great thing.