Considered by many as the Willy Wonka of Newport Beach, Brandy Valdez of B. Candy reveals her recipe for an ideal day. By Kirsti Correa | Photos by Jody Tiongco
Brandy Valdez lives a pretty sweet life. As owner of B. Candy in Corona del Mar, she’s surrounded by sugar on a daily basis—even the novelty gifts in the shop are candy-themed. Through B. Candy, Brandy adds a dash of happiness to the lives of locals and visitors who stop by for a specialty treat, which are all selected by Brandy and made in-house by her team whenever possible. Running the candy emporium is a family operation that even includes her dentist husband, Arnold (the store stocks flavored dental floss as a compromise). When she’s not cooking up an idea for a new ice cream flavor or serving a sugar high at the shop, this mother of four is shuffling from lacrosse games and birthday parties. Here, step into her shoes as she shares her favorite ways to spend a day in town.
“On a typical Saturday, my husband will bring us breakfast from Rose Bakery Cafe. I get the egg white omelet with turkey sausage and spinach, and my kids go crazy over the croissant sandwiches.”
“You need to go to [The] Derma Spa for the deluxe treatment with a manicure, pedicure and neck massage. That is my relaxation.”
“Besides candy, the one
thing I do buy in excess is Louis Vuitton [at Fashion Island]. Usually I buy the artist collaboration bag that comes out once a year. It’s my secret passion—well, people who know me, know.”
“My go-to beach is Newport to hang out on the boardwalk. We have a summer beach house on the peninsula so it feels like we’re on vacation, except we can still go home to our dog at night.”
“I love going to the movies, but I only do reserved seating. The Port Theater is my favorite.”
“We have a big dinner every week with my sister’s family and whoever’s visiting us that week at SideDoor—always. You can’t go wrong with the prime rib sandwich with the avocado mash.” (Photo by Jim Columbo)
