It’s a very sweet and specific recipe. 

“I weighed this out earlier — this is 6.60 grams of rock sugar. I’m just going to pour it in here,” said Eugene J. of the start of a process to make his take on the candy called Nerds. His are called Freaks.

What You Need To Know

Eugene J. Candy Co. is a candy shop in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Owner Eugene J. creates his own candy and curates a selection of other favorites 

The store opened in March 2016 and always features Halloween decor 

Eugene uses a panning machine to create his candies, which resembles a small cement mixer. It all happens at the Bushwick candy shop he opened in March of 2016, where it basically is always Halloween. 

“When I was trying to come up with an idea for the store, I knew I wanted it to be a celebration of candy and play with the seasonality of it, and it just kind of fell into place. It works well with the mad science creation also,” Eugene said.

The Flushing, Queens native has always loved making things and experimenting, baking and cooking. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and studied chemical engineering at Cooper Union in Greenwich Village. 

“I started with the basics like hard candies, lollipops, and then eventually marshmallows, toffees, gummies and pectin jellies,” Eugene said.

He then started doing what he does now, with other creations including Milk Chocolate Gushers and Milk Chocolate-Covered Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

It’s a long way from when Eugene traveled to Berlin years ago to play with a band. That didn’t happen, but he started selling his candy at flea markets and cafes, and some other interesting spots.

“I was making a lollipop with a sucker on both sides and called it the duet, and I was hustling this out of a briefcase in front of Berghain, which is the hottest night club in all of Europe,” Eugene said.

Eugene says he hasn’t made anything that gimmicky since. He came back to New York and went full steam ahead with candy, working for Dylan’s Candy Bar in sales and as a buyer. 

But he knew he was destined to open his own place, where there is now a mix of old-school candy and his cutting-edge creations. 

Eugene J. Candy Co. is located at 16 Wilson Ave. in Bushwick.