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Freak Lunchbox

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Freak Lunchbox
Company typePrivate
IndustryConfectionery
GenreRetail
Founded2001[1]
Headquarters1729 Barrington Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
,
Canada[2]
Number of locations
8 (2025)[3]
OwnersJeremy Smith & Erin Schwanz[1]
Websitefreaklunchbox.com
Interior of Freak Lunchbox in Halifax

Freak Lunchbox is a Canadian chain of confectionery and novelty retailers based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company's flagship store on Barrington Street in Halifax has received international recognition for the mural painted on the side of the building.

History

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Freak Lunchbox was founded in 2001 by Jeremy Smith and Erin Schwanz. Smith, having completed five years at the Ontario College of Art and Design, initially worked as a painter in Toronto before relocating to Halifax.[4] Following their move to Halifax, the couple opened the first Freak Lunchbox location at 1723 Barrington Street.[5] The company subsequently opened additional locations in Nova Scotia and Alberta. In January 2015, the company purchased the nearby Crowe Building at 1729 Barrington Street, constructed in 1912,[6] and began renovations for a new storefront.[5]

Mural

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Freak Lunchbox Charlottetown location

In 2000, artist Zeqirja Rexhepi painted a mural entitled "Tall Ships 2000" on the side of 1729 Barrington Street in Halifax. The mural was funded in part by the City of Halifax, through a grant to the Downtown Halifax Business Commission.[7] In April 2015, shortly after purchasing the building, Freak Lunchbox owners Jeremy Smith and Erin Schwanz announced plans to replace the mural with new candy-themed artwork.[8] This decision sparked public criticism, particularly from Rexhepi, who felt insufficient efforts were made to preserve the mural.[7][9] In response to the backlash, Smith explained he had done everything he could to save the mural, including offering to move it, without success.[10] Rexhepi later acknowledged that he understood Freak Lunchbox's desire to move the mural after reconsidering the situation.[8]

Sketches for the new ocean-themed mural were approved by Heritage Council on September 1, 2015.[11] The mural was completed on September 8 by Montreal muralist Jason Botkin for a total cost of $12,000. Despite prior controversy, the mural was well-received and gained international recognition.[12] In July 2021, it was announced that the artwork would soon be hidden from public view due to the construction of a new nine-story development on the adjacent lot.[13]

The mural on the Freak Lunchbox building garnered recognition for James Botkin within Nova Scotia. In the years following the completion of the mural, Botkin declined three subsequent offers to create murals in the province, eventually painting another mural at Avonian Place in Windsor in October 2023.[14]

Products

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Freak Lunchbox stores concentrate on offering specialty confectionery products, including retro candies, soft drinks, and a diverse selection of bulk candies available in self-serve bins. The stores also offer a variety of novelty items and gadgets.[15] Alongside its physical locations, Freak Lunchbox operates a retail website featuring various prepackaged gift boxes for sale.[3]

Locations

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Freak Lunchbox has a total of eight retail locations, with four situated in Nova Scotia and the remaining four distributed between New Brunswick and Newfoundland.[3]

The company established a location on 17th Avenue in Calgary in 2012; however, this store closed in 2018 due to rising rental costs.[16] The company opened a store in Charlottetown in 2016,[17] which later closed in 2020 as a result of economic difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

Freak Lunchbox has two locations in St. John's, Newfoundland: the first on Water Street, and a second in the Avalon Mall, which opened in November 2021.[19] In New Brunswick, the company has locations in Saint John and Dieppe, while in Nova Scotia, it has two in Halifax, one in Dartmouth, and one in Bedford.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Stewart, Dave (6 April 2016). "Freak Lunchbox candy store franchise coming to Charlottetown". PNI Atlantic. PEI: Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Freak Lunchbox Inc". RJSC Connect. Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "Freak Lunchbox". Freak Lunchbox. Archived from the original on 29 January 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Best Retail Sign 2009". thecoast.ca. Halifax: Overstory Media Group. 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  5. ^ a b Saunders, Allison (25 February 2015). "A new headquarters for Freak Lunchbox". The Coast. Halifax: Overstory Media Group. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Barrington Street Heritage Conservation District Boundary" (PDF). halifax.ca. Halifax Regional Municipality. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Freak Lunchbox to replace Tall Ships mural in Halifax with new art". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 August 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Freak Lunchbox to move Tall Ships mural, replace with candy-themed art". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ Pearson, Heide (1 May 2015). "Proposed removal of Tall Ships 2000 mural causing a stir in Halifax". Global News. Nova Scotia: Global Television Network. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  10. ^ "Freak Lunchbox says artist's family had weeks to remove tall ships mural". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  11. ^ Saunders, Allison (10 September 2015). "The mural of the story: Freak Lunchbox's massive new artwork is done, here's a look at the work that went into it". The Coast. Halifax: Overstory Media Group. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Freak Lunchbox mural gets international recognition". CBC News. Nova Scotia: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 January 2016. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  13. ^ Frisko, Bruce (19 July 2021). "Eclipsed by new development: massive downtown Halifax mural to vanish from public view". CTV News. Nova Scotia: CTV Television Network. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  14. ^ Morris-Underhill, Carole (17 October 2023). "Famed Freak Lunchbox artist creating massive mural in Windsor, N.S." PNI Atlantic. Nova Scotia: Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  15. ^ "Freak Lunchbox Feeds our Candy Cravings". montrealgazette.com. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Rent hike has Freak Lunchbox saying bittersweet goodbye to Calgary". CBC News. Calgary: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Freak Lunchbox to open Charlottetown location". CBC News. PEI: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 April 2016. Archived from the original on 12 May 2018. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  18. ^ McEachern, Terrence (9 November 2020). "Charlottetown's Freak Lunchbox closing due to COVID-19 economic impact". PNI Atlantic. PEI: Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Sweet! Freak Lunchbox coming to the Avalon Mall in St. John's". PNI Atlantic. Newfoundland: Postmedia Network. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
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