Still basking in the success of his company's move and expansion earlier this year from Brooklyn to Cleveland, Thomas Scheiman, president of b. a. Sweetie Candy Company, is looking forward to what he calls the most exciting project of his career: Sweeties Soda Shoppe, which is slated to open October 25.

"It will be our own recipes," says Scheiman of the future ice cream offerings. "There'll be a lot of testing going on in October."

With 5,100 square feet of space, the new soda fountain will be a far cry from the quaint storefront operations of yesteryear. Scheiman expects to add 16 people to his existing staff of 43 in order to man the new 150-seat establishment. Sweeties Soda Shop will be adjacent to the staggering 40,000-square-foot candy store and Golfland, a miniature golf course that is also part of the growing Sweetie campus at 6770 Brookpark Road.

The new space will feature a party room that will seat 50 and have a dividing wall to accommodate two concurrent parties of up to 25 attendees each. This will significantly expand the outdoor party accommodations available seasonally at Golfland. The business end of the soda shop will be an "open kitchen concept," with windows showcasing employees preparing toppings and mixing and freezing the ice cream.

"You'll be able to see everything," says Scheiman.

With the addition of the soda shop, he sees the Sweetie campus as a perfect family destination spot, with a host of fun options including a leisurely stroll through the candy store's 14 aisles, a round of miniature golf and then a stop at the soda shop for a sundae, cone or float.

"They can make a half a day out of this," says Scheiman.

Fogg is the general contractor on the job. Chroma Design is doing the interior design. Both firms are local, which is something Scheiman strives for. To that end, he notes the store's acrylic candy bins come from HP Manufacturing on Carnegie Avenue and the shelving racks are supplied by Ohio Wholesale.

The campus is approximately five acres. While the candy store was a new construction buildout, the soda shop will occupy a building that was built in the early 1980's and originally housed a restaurant, then a video arcade and most recently a church. Scheiman purchased the property in January 2012. The golf course was also existing, but had been shuttered. The cost of the multi-faceted and privately funded project is confidential, but Scheiman describes it as "an incredible amount of money."

Scheiman bought the candy company in 1982 when it was called Bag of Sweets and employed just four people in a 1,200-square-foot space that offered no retail sales. This is the company's third major move and expansion since then.

"Foot traffic is up 45 percent," says Scheiman, adding that Sweeties is on track to see 400,000 people come through its doors this year, up from 260,000 last year at the previous location, 7480 Brookpark Road. He credits the 40-foot lollipop beckoning travelers on Interstate 480 and the colorful sign on Brookpark for at least some of the added business. BNext Awning & Graphics of Cleveland supplied both.

"This already is a destination," says Scheiman of Cleveland's largest candy store, noting that the sweetest part of the job isn't necessarily sampling the stock. "It's so rewarding to see families together doing something that is really cool."