Candy Kids Spa

Candy Kids Spa combines things that kids love—including more than 100 types of candy, candy-flavored facial masks, a heaping helping of personalized attention, and fun activities such as karaoke—into one memorable experience. It should come as no surprise that the company's formula is a successful one, since it was, in fact, inspired by a 6-year-old. As she told Elizabeth Carey in a 2010 Buffalo Business First feature, owner Ayanna Williams came up with the concept when her daughter requested her own special treatment after seeing the pampering going on at a traditional spa.

Williams and her daughter decided to retrieve some frosting out of the cabinet and had a good time creating their very own tasty "facial." Williams's daughter told her friends at school about it, and soon Williams started traveling to people's homes for mobile parties. She then bought a storefront on Niagara Falls Boulevard, gutting the building herself and painting the walls in bright rainbow colors. Williams eventually expanded the business to include two more locations in New York state and is in the process of creating franchises elsewhere.

The innovative spa, which has been featured on WKBW Channel 7 News, offers services ranging from candy-colored mani-pedis to a spa factory where kids can make their own lip gloss and candy-scented perfume. They also host parties to celebrate a birthday or a long-awaited truce in a war over which sister gets to sleep on the top bunk.