Melbourne businesses to check out: Tom’s Candy, Peach Orchard Grove, Pixel Bar & Cafe

From a lolly shop at Prahran Market to beers and video games in Huntingdale, check out our guide to some of the ‘burbs coolest businesses worth checking out.

There’s no shortage of cool cafes, bars, and lolly shops in check out in the ‘burbs.

From new businesses to hidden gems you may not have visited, there is no shortage of amazing venues to pay a visit to across the east and southeastern suburbs.

From lollies to amazing coffee, to beers and awesome games, check out some of the best.

Tom’s Candy, Prahran Market

Tom Campbell at his new candy store at Prahran Market.

Sweet fans will be in heaven at this new store at Prahran Market.

Dubbed as Australia’s answer to Willy Wonka, a love of sweets runs in owner Tom Campbell’s family.

His grandad Arthur Campbell started successful confectionary business, Fyna Foods, with his wife Marjorie in the 1940s and invented the famous Wizz Fizz.

Now Tom has created a wonderland for sweet fans who can explore a fully stocked candy shop at the popular market.

“I’ve tried to create that feeling of when you’re a child, especially around my era when you walked into a milk bar with $1 to buy some lollies and the colours and smells and visuals of the lollies was so overwhelming and captivating,” he said.

“That was the feeling I wanted to provide a new generation of kids and adults alike.”

Customers can choose from 60 pick and mix items.

Tom said children tended to choose gummies and sours while the adults gravitated towards milk bottles and bananas.

“Both children and adults go for red frogs,” he said.

Sweet fans can also explore the Tom’s Candy private label range, featuring the full range of Pink Lady chocolates and the Fyna superior licorice range, along with more than 200 imported items, mainly from the US.

There’s a massive range of Nerds, Mike and Ike candy, giant gummy bears and of course Wizz Fizz and Big Boss lollies.

The pick and mix at Tom’s Candy.

Tom’s favourite is the Tom’s Candy Chewy Caramel.

He said he was loving being out on the shop floor and hearing the nostalgia many customers had for lollies.

“People are coming up and saying ‘Oh wow I haven’t seen this since I was a kid’; that to me is a really fun and satisfying part of the job.”

Despite the temptations that come with working in a lolly shop, Tom said he managed to keep his sweet tooth under control.

“When we were children it was amazing because Wizz Fizz was everywhere,” he said.

“We would go to our grandparents house and there would always be under the cupboards boxes of Wizz Fizz and chocolates and things like that, we used to have so much fun with it.

“Because there was so much of it we developed a way to almost control it so now when I feel like a candy in the store it has to be something that I really want.”

Tom’s grandparents Arthur and Marjorie Campbell started their business Fyna Foods by making jam at home in the late 1930s and 40s.

They then started making hard candy and boiling the jams down, and Arthur started making lollipops.

Family legend has it that Arthur wanted to make the lollipops pop and make them fizzy, so he developed a recipe for sherbet.

All the workers in the factory who were producing it by this stage said the sherbet was so good it deserved to be its own product, and the Wizz Fizz was born.

Tom said his grandad was an incredible entrepreneur who embraced licencing and licenced Mickey and Donald Duck to appear on the sweets, before Wizz Fizz monsters were later born.

The business continued to grow, and started producing things like chocolate coated almonds and then the licorice line.

“The love for Melbourne and producing confectionary has always been in the family which is fabulous,” Tom said.

Peach Orchard Grove, Blackburn South

Pretty in pink: The cafe is a hit with locals.

The eye-catching decor.

Things are peachy at this popular Blackburn South cafe.

Luke Pantalone and Andrew Carrazzo opened Peach Orchard Grove last August and Mr Pantalone said the homely cafe had been warmly received by locals.

“The reaction has been fantastic, as soon as we opened the response was ‘We’ve been dying for something to open there and give a bit of life back to that strip of shops,” he said.

“The customer support has been amazing so far.”

Mr Pantalone said the business was “almost a deli-style cafe” with an Oriental twist to the menu.

It is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and coffee.

Popular dishes include mushroom toasties and cakes and pastries baked in-house, including

banana bread.

Mr Pantalone said the menu changed often, offering different dishes including salads and freshly baked quiche.

“Our menu does change day-to-day based on how the chef is feeling and what fresh ingredients they can get,” he said.

The cafe also serves up “one of the best coffees in the eastern suburbs”.

“We think if you haven’t tried it it’s worth trying us out because we do stand by our coffee and think we’ve got one of the best in the area..”

There’s a range of freshly baked goodies at Peach Orchard Grove in Blackburn South.

The decor of the corner cafe is also very Instagram friendly, with a pretty pink exterior.

Mr Pantalone said a lot of heart and effort had gone into the design.

“It’s just a nice place to sit and get out of the cold weather,” he said.

“And through summer we also have a big corner with outdoor seating which gets a nice bit of sun.

“We’re really proud of what we’ve created.

“We love the local support, the locals have been so good to us, so we’re very grateful to everyone who has tried us out.”

Pixel Bar & Cafe Huntingdale

Cards and cocktails are on offer at Pixel Bar & Cafe

There’s a range of games available to play for free.

The ultimate game night is on offer at this Huntingdale bar, that’s fitted out with board games, card games, consoles and PCs.

Owner Sean Atkinson said it was the type of venue he wished existed when he was growing up.

“I was never really into sports or pokies or any of the stuff that is readily available at every other single bar and pub,” he said.

“I grew up on the Mornington Peninsula where it was probably even more stark in terms of variety.

“The thing we always came back to was playing video games at home and drinking beers on the couch which essentially is what we’ve managed to build.”

Mr Atkinson said there was a console at the end of every couch in the venue and booths which had Nintendo Switch docks, where people could use their own Switch or grab one from the bar.

There’s also PlayStation and X-Box consoles.

The venue has a range of multi-player games.

“Think of it as less of an arcade with beers and more as a pub with games,” he said.

“You may get people that will come in for the purpose of playing games but a couple of beers in they will just be chatting with their mates and having a good time.

“It’s a really good ice breaker.”

Mr Atkinson said one of his favourite games to recommend was Overcooked – a “ridiculous” little “arcadey, puzzly game” “which very quickly shows you if people are going to co-operate or yell at each other”.

“It gets people loudly and emotionally invested and the laughter is almost imminent,” he said.

The venue is open from 5pm seven days a week.

San Lorenzo Cafe, Scoresby

San Lorenzo is an incredible Italian restaurant now open in the mornings to serve the business community at Caribbean Park.

Mornings have become a bit brighter for workers at Caribbean Park in Scoresby, with a popular Italian cafe now opening earlier to serve up delicious coffee.

Described by one customer as “an absolute gem of a restaurant” San Lorenzo Cafe is now serving customers coffee and breakfast snacks from 8am, Tuesday through Friday.

It vows to provide a sophisticated, CBD quality dining experience in the eastern suburbs.

And their coffee has won them widespread acclaim, described by some as the best in the area.

“Our goal is to deliver the kind of coffee that not only wakes you up but also stirs your soul,”

co owner Sab Randazzo said.

San Lorenzo invites everyone to visit them at 33 Dalmore Drive, Caribbean Park.

There are also delicious pastries on offer.

Henrietta, Windsor

Henrietta is opening on Chapel Street Windsor this Friday.

Delicious Lebanese classics with a modern Aussie flare are on offer at Chapel Street’s newest business Henrietta.

Opening on Friday July 7, 100 lucky Melburnians will have the chance to grab a free chicken or falafel pita to celebrate the restaurant’s opening day, starting at midday.

The chicken pita is stuffed with charcoal chicken, chips, topped with tangy toum and pickles. The vegetarian option delivers crispy falafel balls drizzled with creamy tahini sauce, topped with tomato slices, pickles, and fiery harissa.

“We knew once we landed in Melbourne, we had to showcase our Lebanese generosity and hospitality, so we’re happy to announce this offer. It aims to get Melburnians to come experience Henrietta and enjoy our tasty pitas and incredible food,” co-owner Ibrahim Moubadder said.

For those who miss out on the deal, Henrietta is offering 50 per cent off its entire takeaway menu for the rest of the day.

The new Middle-Eastern restaurant, which also has a venue in Sydney, specialises in all-things-charcoal and the new Melbourne venue offers customers the chance to dine-in or takeaway.

Customers can grab a whole charcoal chicken, a range of small snacks including baba ganoush or falafel, and a variety of sides and salads.