TikTok fuels $12K in overnight sales for Chicago Mexican candy maker Antojitos.shop

CHICAGO -- At the age of 7, Gerardo Ruiz and his siblings crossed the US-Mexico border knowing no English and in search of a better life. Today Ruiz runs Antojitos.shop, a Mexican candy store in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, as a tribute to his mother who brought him to the United States.

"Because she didn't give up, I don't give up on my dream," said Ruiz. "I am really proud of where I am now and really proud of my culture and heritage."

Ruiz, a DACA recipient, began making candy and posting videos on social media in 2020 after his job at a car repair shop ended. His TikTok video of a chamoy and chili powder-covered watermelon lollipop soon went viral, inspiring him to launch his business from a spare closet in his mothers botanical store.

"That video hit a million views on TikTok, and that's actually what made my store start up," said Ruiz. "I decided to put my whole income into what is now Antojitos Shop."

Spanish for "little cravings," Antojitos Shop specializes in American candies that are dipped in a tangy, fruity sauce (called chamoy) and tossed in a blended chili powder ("chilito"). Ruiz says the sweet, sour, and spicy combination is popular among Mexican immigrants.

"We Mexicans like a lot of chili powder, we like salty, we like sour; especially on candy," said Ruiz. "American candy with a twist of Mexican culture is a completely new thing that just came out."

Antojitos.shop's most popular item, Fruit by the Foot smeared with chamoy and dusted with chilito, helped Ruiz open his stand-alone store over a year ago. A video recorded by Ruiz where he explains his personal story while making the candy netted him around 600 orders from his website and $12,000 in his bank account overnight.

"That was just mind-blowing that you could have one-time sales just blowing up," said Ruiz. "I do my videos, do my creativity, my videos get attention on TikTok, and that's how my business came to life."

Ruiz says one of the hardest parts of his business is coming up with new ideas for videos. Reels of his "Pickle Bomb," a fruit roll up-wrapped sour pickle dipped in chamoy and rolled in chilito, have become popular favorites because of the fruits shape and the way its prepared.

"People just start assuming stuff," said Ruiz. "In Mexico, we like to say, 'doble sentido;' its one thing you're doing, but its actually not meant that way."

Antojitos.shop has over 600,000 followers and counting on TikTok. Business has been a challenge with sales often coming in waves but Ruiz says he's determined to pursue his dream despite the difficulty.

"My mom was a person who came to the United States with nothing," said Ruiz. "So, that makes me push myself more and more and more."

For more information on Antojitos.shop, visit antojitos.shop online and find them on TikTok through their handle, antojitos.shop