Every year, the month of March brings one of the sports world’s most highly anticipated events, NCAA March Madness, where collegiate basketball national champions are crowned.
This March, one small town candy shop in Hillsboro is on a mission to crown a national champion, or ‘chomp-ion’, of their own. . . a candy chomp-ion.
On Friday, March 1, The Sweet Spot will release their bracket for Munch Madness - a single elimination bracket-style tournament where 16 of their most popular sweets like Hammond’s Chocolate Bars, candy cigarettes, freeze dried Skittles, Hank’s Cheesecakes and more will go head-to-head in a weekly sales-off.
Starting March 18, whichever item is purchased more each week in each match-up including online and in-store sales will move onto the next round. The final match will take place the week of April 8 with a ‘Chomp-ion’ announced on April 15.
“I’ve filled out a basketball bracket every March for as long as I can remember,” said co-owner Dylan Richter. “It’s a blast making predictions and rooting for your team. At The Sweet Spot, we’re always trying to bring fun, unique experiences to our community. We know plenty of people will be eating candy while watching the games, so we figured why not crown a candy champion at the same time?”
Fans are invited to participate by filling out a Munch Madness bracket (no purchase necessary) where they’ll predict winners for the match-ups each round including the score of the final game. Once the tournament begins, fans can “support their teams” by purchasing those sweets in-store or online.
A grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded if anyone submits a perfect bracket including the correct score (total units of each item sold) of the final match.
Prizes including gift cards and Munch Madness swag will be awarded to the highest scoring brackets. Bracket scoring will be determined by how many correct predictions are made each round with more points awarded in later rounds.
Pre-sales for limited edition Munch Madness merchandise will also be available in March.
Brackets will be available online until March 17. More details, contest rules, brackets and more can be found at www.trythesweetspot.com/munchmadness.
About The Sweet Spot
The Sweet Spot was opened in July 2023 by Hillsboro-native, Katie Homa and her husband, Dylan Richter.
“We’re a family-owned, sweet-tooth satisfying destination on Main Street in Hillsboro,” said Richter. “What we offer is an extensive selection of 1,000+ candies, treats and drinks, but what we provide is a unique and family-friendly experience for the community.”
The store features 72 build-your-own bag candy bins, children’s novelty candy, gourmet chocolates, ice cream novelties, 50+ craft glass bottle sodas, nostalgic candies, freeze dried candy, international favorites and more.
Online ordering, hours, and more can be found at www.trythesweetspot.com.
