When Sweet Nonsense opened in May 2025 the sugar intake of kids, adults, and social media influencers spiked along with the city’s local joy factor.
Owner Selma Dakota combined her past children’s clothing boutique and candy manufacturing experience to package sweet experiences like canning candy worms and making chocolate-covered popcorn with every topping imaginable.
Visitors are lured in by the smell of popcorn and stay for the giant chocolate-covered strawberries served in a tall cup so the berries can be thoroughly drenched.
Selma comes from South Dakota but has lived in Kansas City for 15 years. She started serving ice cream and cotton candy at her prior boutique during the pandemic to qualify to stay open during the quarantine. She then went into candy manufacturing with her son Calvin, who is on the spectrum, wanted to make space-striped candy.
The space-striped candy was so popular stores like Mama and Me Boutique started carrying it and the Executive Director Danelle O’Connell of Historic Downtown Liberty Inc. invited her to sell her sweet offerings at the KC Wide Open Block Party.
Though Selma did a number of candy pop-ups in many other towns including Eudora and Odessa, her son and daughter, Charlotte, were most accepted in Liberty.
With kindness being shown to her kids, and encouragement from veteran entrepreneur Joe Dugdale, Selma decided to open her store in Liberty.
Inside you’ll find 25 cent candy, which is a nod to Selma’s generation and more tech-driven candy offerings for the younger generation.
Drop by and visit Sweet Nonsense located at 113 West Kansas St. in Liberty Wednesday – Friday from Noon to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bring your sweet tooth.