LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Leslee Thomas describes herself as a modern day candy lady.
"When the kids walk in here, their faces literally light up and it's priceless every time," said Thomas of her candy shop, Sight & Sound Candy and More.
While the candy shop at 1000 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. is all Thomas' creation, the space itself has been in her family for 22 years.
"This actual store that we're standing in is the same store that I was running around in as a kid so watching my kids run around, it's still kind of surreal," she said.
The Thomas family has been in business on the historic westside since 1958, when Sight and Sound the music store opened on D Street.
"My grandfather Larry Willburn was one of the first Black entrepreneurs here in Vegas," she said.
Thomas said that entrepreneurial spirit was passed down as she watched her grandfather pivot his music business into home decor. And when she took the reins last year, she was ready to pivot again.
"With the times now, nobody buys albums and tapes anymore so I wanted to think of something that was still needed in the community, something that would still withstand the time and something that would still be a money maker," she said.
Thomas found her sweet spot, opening Sight & Sound Candy and More on Aug. 8, 2020. Opening up shop in the midst of a pandemic isn't something many have done, but she said the community she was raised in has been there to support her since day one.
"If I withstood it this long, just wait until it's over just to see the impact that we have. So something I'm looking forward to," she said.
Sight & Sound Candy and More is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop does gift baskets and wrapping and hosts events and parties.
