Los Fresnos Locals Open Up a New Business in Town

Updated: August 23, 2024

By Mike Villarreal

Exotic Candiez, a business deeply rooted in the Los Fresnos community, recently celebrated its Grand Opening on Friday, August 9th. It is located at 33478 FM 803, Suite B7, behind Stripes in Los Fresnos Plaza, next to United High School. The store is proudly owned by Alisa and Javier Cantu, both proud residents of Los Fresnos.

Alisa and Javier, born and raised in Los Fresnos, noticed a unique opportunity to introduce international candy options in the RGV. Their decision to bring something new and exciting to the community, which began as a passion project with pop-up tents at local events, has now blossomed into their very own storefront! They are thrilled to share their love for exotic candies with you, offering a unique and exciting experience for all candy lovers.

Javier, a proud Marine Corps veteran, is excited to return to his hometown to give back to the community that shaped him. Owner Alisa started small, selling behind her parent’s house in a small storage unit she had renovated. Alisa would go live on TikTok and sell online. During that time, she met her husband Javier, and once they moved into their own home, she moved her business into a spare room. From there, she continued to gain followers on TikTok and started receiving numerous orders. Eventually, they decided to expand and put their freeze-dried candy in stores and started doing wholesale. This led to pop-up events in Los Fresnos, Brownsville, and Harlingen. They decided to open a local store for the community with the money they saved. Alicia has been running her business for three years and states, “If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.” She also mentioned that in the future, she hopes to open another location and expand to cities where international candies are not currently available. The Cantus are excited about Los Fresnos’s growth and see incredible opportunities. They will continue selling at pop-up events, the Brownsville Flea Market, and other markets in Los Fresnos.

The Cantus express their heartfelt gratitude for the large turnout at their grand opening. They sincerely appreciate everyone who came to show their support. Alicia comes from a family deeply rooted in business, with her parents and siblings all having their own businesses. Alicia has ventured into her own business, following in her parents’ footsteps. “My mom and dad are my two role models and they taught us from a young age how to work hard and never give up.” They thank their families for helping with decoration and making hot dogs and their friends for showing up and assisting during the grand opening. Your support means the world to them.

Their hours of operation are 7 am to 7 pm from Monday to Friday and 2 pm to 10 pm on Saturday. They are closed on Sundays. You can reach them at (956) 276-4058. You can follow them on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram at Exoticcandiezllc. You can place orders for their delicious goodies on their website, exoticcandiez.com. Finally, you can find their freeze-dried candies in several corner stores across the valley from South Padre Island to Mercedes.