Abba-Zaba into Business
For Tia Medeiros, inspiration struck when she was watching the Dave Chappelle comedy Half Baked. It might be more accurate to call it a craving. The movie features Abba-Zaba bars, a taffy candy bar with a peanut butter centre.
The tempting treat was not available anywhere in Winnipeg. It was one of the first hard-to-get candy items she sourced and sold from the basement of her home. As word spread, Teeyah’s was born as an online store, fulfilling orders and serving a previously pent-up need for the candy you can’t find at your corner store.
Medeiros works in distribution, a role she continues today, while managing the store and working weekends behind the counter. As her online business grew, she decided to take the leap into a bricks-and-mortar store. That first location on Hargrave was 445 square-feet of treats. When she came across her current spot at 240 Graham Avenue, she leapt again, moving to the expansive and light-filled space in January 2018. Online sales are still part of the business, along with goodie bags for businesses and birthday parties and special event candy buffets.
The new space allowed for the addition of ice cream and specialty items like the cotton candy burrito – three scoops of ice cream wrapped in cotton candy and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Milkshakes were recently added to the lineup as well, after enough customers made the request.
“I wanted to be somebody who didn’t run away,” she says of her decision to stay in Winnipeg’s downtown. Travelling a lot for her work in distribution means she sees a lot of urban downtown areas. “We can be just as active and vibrant here, too.”
Most of her business remains as word-of-mouth – people who have a sweet tooth tend to talk. Online ads and social media also boost the business.
Her dream is for Teeyah’s to be everywhere, but for now she’s having fun bringing people together with the treats they love. “I want to make people happy with a good experience and good quality at a fair price.”
Sweet dreams indeed.
