Sparrow’s Gourmet Snacks opened a beautiful “brick and mortar” location in Haddonfield NJ last month. I stopped in recently to check out the amazing store and kitchen, where they create and sell delicious snacks that are gluten-free, peanut free and all natural!
The foundation for the business is in delicious and uniquely flavored fresh popcorn, as well as Fairy Floss… more commonly known today as cotton candy!
But with the Haddonfield location and it’s amazing outdoor cafe design, they have expanded the menu to include fresh potato chips, pastries, hot pretzel dippers, corn dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches and soups, funnel cakes and even toaster pastries!
And you wouldn’t know it if I didn’t tell you… everything is gluten free! Yes… the funnel cakes, toaster pastries, pretzels and even the grilled cheese sandwiches on crispy bread are all gluten free!
Sparrows takes being a gluten free space as seriously as they do in making delicious treats that anyone can enjoy… they are a certified gluten free and no crust contact foodery.
Sparrows Gourmet Snacks in Haddonfield is located at 10 Mechanic Street, just a few short steps from the popular Haddonfield downtown.
If you know where the Kings Road Brewery and William Heritage Winery tasting rooms are located… just take a turn down the small street located between them, and in 15 seconds you’re at the new amazing Sparrows Haddonfield location.
Another big advantage to the new Sparrows location is they are located immediately next to a public parking lot.
The businesses is owned and operated by the Sparrow family who have lived in Haddonfield for almost 20 years.
What started out as a fun and delicious activity to share with their kids, has now grown into a small business with the Haddonfield location, a Reading Terminal Location in Philadelphia, as well as their original 1906 mobile concession popcorn cart.
Sparrows Gourmet Snacks Haddonfield
The Sparrows location in Haddonfield is an attractive and uniquely designed space which offers inviting indoor and outdoor spaces.
The front of the building is about 30 feet across, and it’s split equally left and right into two 15-foot sections.
The left section is the beautifully designed indoor space featuring the store, and in the rear an open kitchen. The right portion is the outdoor patio area with attractive paver work, overhead lighting and decorative wall designs.
The store and cafe has been designed and developed in a way that even though it is two distinct halves, it all feels like one cohesive space… the patio area is just another room in the Sparrows store that just happens to not have a ceiling and all four walls!
Adding to that effect is if you visit on nice weather days there’s a large 12 foot NanaWall system which opens up to fully blend the experiences of being indoors or out.
Inside the store (interior) entrance on the immediate right is a popcorn cart where you can choose from a variety of sizes of hot buttered popcorn.
The full length wall on the left features a large variety of their packaged flavored popcorns. Tasty unique flavors such as Buffalo Blue Cheese, Pizza, Dill Pickle, and of course classics such as Caramel Corn and a White Cheddar (with Thyme).
Sparrows also has a small gift selection offering glasses, bowls and mugs, gluten free funnel cake mix and dispensers… and even a few cute small teddy bears.
At the rear of the indoor space is an open kitchen which looks like it was plucked right from one of the beautiful Haddonfield homes in the nearby blocks.
A large countertop island sits in front of the kitchen area, and behind that is a large multiple burner stove and oven, additional countertop space and cabinetry… as well as the fresh soup pots.
When you order lunch of an amazing grilled cheese and soup… they’ll be preparing it for you right there, hot and fresh.
Then you can take your delicious lunch and snacks and walk right over to the outdoor patio area…adding it’s awesome attractive and cool design to the quiet enjoyment of lunch.
I really do like the way the patio and store “mesh” together… it reminds me of something you would find in Southern California, where the outdoor space is like an added room to the store.
To carry that effect, overhead of the patio is an exposed roof truss which somewhat reminds me of the Betsy Ross house framework in Philadelphia… where your mind is tricked into realizing that a building is there, when actually it is not.
The front wall Sparrows patio space is fully open… it’s simply not there.
And on the side that is the end of the property, an angled brass decor wall was created which again gives you a feeling of being inside of the building, when most of it is actually open and exposed to the neighborhood beyond.
The space was designed by Benita Cooper Design, and the patio paver aspects and water management design were implemented by Lisk Landscape Innovations.
Normally I don’t get into the design details but Steve Lisk and Bonita teamed up for a short and interesting video which really explains the building design concept and mindset behind the space, and how the Lisk team managed any storm water concerns. You can check out that video on Instagram
Sparrrow’s Gourmet Snacks – Family and Community
The Sparrow family traces the start of their gourmet snack business back to when dad Ryan as a kid would make popcorn with his own father. At a family run concession stand they would sell the freshly popped popcorn… which was successful enough to help Ryan pay his way through college.
Later on Ryan married Michelle who grew up on a farm and shared an appreciation for food based on healthy ingredients.
It seems that creating their own healthy snacks in the family kitchen was just a normal part of the family’s life.
While it was a fun activity to share with the kids, the family put a some fun data analysis behind their creations, developing scorecards and ranking systems to identify which of the family’s latest creations ranked higher above the others!
Around 2020 the family decided to move into a big step, to offer their delicious and healthy snacks to the public.
They purchased a 1906 old fashioned popcorn wagon and refurbished it into a distinctive and beautiful mobile concession cart, which they could take to local community and private events. (The cart is still available for event rentals, including weddings!)
The Sparrow family found success quickly and soon they were looking to build out a permanent location in the town that they love, Haddonfield NJ.
With the full planning, approval and development of the Haddonfield store needing to take some time to complete, they also opened a booth/kiosk location in Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market.
Recently a segment of the Good Morning America show was filmed at the Reading Terminal Market, and Michelle Sparrow was able to show off their new toaster pastries… which are also gluten free!
ABC 6 coverage of the GMA visit, with Michelle Sparrow showing their new Toaster Pastries! (Youtube)
Now with the opening of the Haddonfield Sparrows Gourmet Snacks location, you have three ways of experiencing the Sparrow healthy deliciousness! Haddonfield, Reading Terminal Market or the popcorn cart.
And if it’s been a while since you strolled Haddonfield’s downtown… the fall is a perfect time for it. So many interesting shops, restaurants and yes while they are a dry town, you can get a beer or wine at the two tasting rooms!
Links and Location
Sparrows Gourmet Snacks
10 Mechanic St
Haddonfield, NJ
Hours as of 10/27/2023
- Sunday – 11am -5pm
- Monday – CLOSED
- Tuesday – 11am-7pm
- Wednesday – 11am-7pm
- Thursday – 11am-7pm
- Friday – 11am-7pm
- Space Designer: Benita Cooper Design
- Pavers and Water Management: Lisk Landscape Innovations
- Sparrow’s Haddonfield Design Clip (Instagram)