As Pop-Tarts World Prepares to Bow Out, Wonka Shop Opens in Times Square

Wanh-wanh: a Wonka shop opens.

Say it ain't so: Pop-Tarts World may not be much longer for this world. But fear not, kiddie-laden tourists in search of a completely corporatized snacking experience: the Wonka shop has made its debut in the Times Square Toys "R" Us.

The Willy Wonka Candy Company, owned by Nestle, chose the location for its first ever branded store for obvious reasons: toys + candy = a kid's dream (and parent's nightmare). The store is stocked with all 12 Wonka brands, from Fun Dip to Kazoozles, as well as the new Wonka Exceptionals premium line of candy, including the Scrumdiddlyumptious bar priced at $2.39. It looks like we haven't seen the last of branded destination shops and pop-up stores -- in fact, they seem to be becoming rather commonplace. Let's just hope these stay where they're supposed to. In other words, the day a Cheerios shop pops up next to Prada on Broadway or a Snapple store opens in Williamsburg, it might be time to abandon ship, New York.

Have a restaurant tip or other food-related news? Send it to fork@villagevoice.com.