Spindler’s Confections is focused on the classics, 
happy to let fads like the Dubai candy bar go stale

The air in Spindler Confections is thick with the syrupy sweet aroma of chocolate and toffee being made, and its crowded shelves hold a seemingly endless selection of items from glittery maple syrup to tinned razor-shelled clams. Among the dizzying variety of sweet and savory goodies, however, there is one item you won’t find: the viral Dubai chocolate bar.

Originally called “Can’t Get Knafeh of It,” the candy bar is made from tempered milk chocolate, bright green pistachio cream and crunchy kataifi, or shredded phyllo dough. The treat, created by the Dubai-based Fix It Dessert Chocolatier, gained popularity after a viral TikTok taste test by influencer Maria Vehera, which has been seen 98.2 million times and received 5.8 million likes.

In the months since the video was posted, shop owner Jeremy Spindler has received dozens of calls about the confection. While chocolate shops across the United States have attempted to capitalize on the bar’s popularity by creating their own versions, for Spindler, social media trends are rarely worth it.

Spindler has no doubt the Dubai bar is delicious – his shop sells a similar item, a pistachio cream-filled bonbon. But he knows from experience that social media crazes are fleeting. The same thing happened a few years back with hot chocolate bombs, he explained. The year the chocolate balls went viral, he got more than 30 calls inquiring about the item. Today? He gets none.

For Spindler, participating in trends such as the Dubai chocolate bar is a question of consistency over short-term success. He expects that in the time it takes to buy the materials, test recipes and receive community feedback, the trend will be over. “Whenever something is really hot and I can tell it’s most likely kind of a fad, I’m happy to just sort of let the other businesses capitalize on that and we just kind of maintain our steady customer base,” he said.

Spindler says his consistency comes from a loyal set of regular customers, many of whom stop in for chocolate bonbons weekly. One customer, a 90-year-old former ballerina, comes in twice a week. “She lives in an apartment building, and any time a new person comes into the building, she will come to our shop and buy a little box of chocolates and sit it outside their front door. And it’s a fairly big complex, so there’s a fair amount of turnover,” Spindler said.

While other small businesses have turned to social media to grow their customer bases, Spindler says he’s not interested. The store posts occasionally on its Instagram and Facebook, usually around the holidays, as a gentle reminder of its existence. But Spindler doesn’t have the resources or desire to expand. “We’re a neighborhood shop. Most of our customers live within probably a half-mile of our shop, and we’re not looking to broaden our reach beyond the neighborhood.”

One way Spindler Confections cultivates community outside of social media is through its humble but thorough Museum of Chocolate and Confectionary, which pays homage to Cambridge’s sweet history.

The museum, scattered throughout the store, features 19th- and early 20th century artifacts from the many candy factories that once lined “Confectioner’s Row” along what is now Main Street. The collection includes candy boxes, chocolate molds and even soap from well-known brands such as Necco and Lowney. Store manager Chrissy LeBlanc, whose grandfather worked in a local candy factory, says the museum has become a gathering place for “townies” such as herself, with connections to the area’s confectionery history.

The holiday season is far and away the busiest time of year for candy makers, and Spindler Confections is no exception. For those looking to do their seasonal shopping locally among its European storybook shelves, the shop has a wide range of indulgent options.

The bonbons are a fan favorite – customers can either buy a box of preselected chocolates or choose them individually from 20 flavors, ranging from a classic hazelnut to a more adventurous smokey scotch. The chocolate-covered caramels are also popular; the store sold between 300 and 400 boxes last year, Spindler said.

Whether regulars or first-timers, Spindler hopes that all his customers can share in the magic and whimsy of his Wonka-esque store. “Spindler’s is about doing something fun in the community and trying to bring joy to people as best as we can. No one’s making a killing running a little shop like this, and we all do it because we just really, really love it,” he said.

The Spindler top five

As described by Jeremy Spindler

Bonbon assortments ($22 for 11 pieces)
Raspberry, passion fruit, pistachio bars and Earl Gray tea are among the most wanted.

Sea salt caramel boxes ($11.50 for six pieces; $22.95 for 12)
Dark chocolate, specifically.

Nonpareils ($12.95 for five ounces)
“Which are really kind of boring! But people love their little bit of crunch, and we sell tons.”

Barks ($11.50)
Specifically the almond variety. “We’ve never done a peppermint bark, but we do a holiday bark and winter bark” with ingredients such cranberry, pistachios, Rice Krispies, blueberries and almonds.

Butter cups ($6.50 for two; $18.75 for six)
Nearly a tie between peanut butter and pistachio varieties, but “peanut butter outsells because it’s a classic.”

A stronger

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