Tim and Cindy Moran had just moved to New Jersey from Arizona in 2012 when they made their first trip to Ocean City. Their children immediately fell in love with cotton candy. When the family tried packaged varieties afterward, “it was of very poor quality,” says Moran. Cindy suggested they make their own.
Working in their kitchen at home in Califon, the Morans—who were looking for a new business venture—experimented until they found just the right blend of super-refined sugar and naturally flavored oils. Their cotton candy was an instant hit. “Once we saw how the neighborhood kids loved it, we thought that we could make a commercial venture out of it,” says Moran.
Last year, the Morans opened their Spinn Candy production facility in Hackettstown. This year they added a retail store on Main Street in Chester, where they sell their fluffy treat for $4 a bag. “There are some girls who come in every day, just to buy one bag,” says Moran. Spinn Candy also supplies freshly spun cotton candy for weddings, parties, conventions and corporate clients, and conducts make-your-own spinning parties at the Hackettstown facility.
“People who eat our cotton candy are amazed,” says Moran. He attributes Spinn Candy’s unique fluffiness to their sugar, which he says is 10 times more refined than that of most prepackaged cotton candy. Also, he says, the product is packaged and heat-sealed within 10 minutes of spinning to keep it fresh.
Spinn Candy comes in 25 flavors, including blue raspberry and creamsicle; more are in development. The Morans plan to open an additional store by the fall, and offer online sales as well. For more information, visit their website.