Hey Sugar on Strawberry Hill

Hey Sugar on Strawberry Hill is a locally owned candy and ice cream shop at 426 N. Sixth Street, on the corner of Sixth and Sandusky in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas.¹² Owners Curtis Jay and Lorena Perez opened it in late June 2023 to give the neighborhood a family-friendly daytime spot, serving small-batch ice cream, shaved ice, Italian sodas, and candy from around the world.¹

Description

Hey Sugar sits on the corner of Sixth Street and Sandusky Avenue on Strawberry Hill, a candy-and-ice-cream shop with about six tables, toys, children’s books, and a camel mural by artist Tianna Hughes.¹ It scoops 21 flavors of small-batch ice cream from Bliss Artisan (an Indiana maker), and also serves shaved ice and Italian sodas alongside an extensive candy wall — old-fashioned brands (Necco Wafers, Zotz), Asian candies (Hi-Chew, Hello Panda), Mexican options (Malvabon, Puerquitos), and sour candies.¹

Ownership and history

Curtis Jay partnered with a friend, Lorena Perez, to open Hey Sugar in late June 2023, timed to the neighborhood’s Third Friday Art Walk.¹ Jay said the area had plenty of nightlife but little for families and kids during the day, and that the nearest other place to get ice cream was the River Market across the state line — a gap the shop was built to fill.¹

Menu

Last verified: 2026-07-15 · Source: Kansas City Star via AOL¹ · Confidence: Medium (opening-coverage menu; offerings may rotate)

Candy and ice cream shop.¹

• Small-batch ice cream — 21 flavors (Bliss Artisan, Indiana)
• Shaved ice
• Italian sodas
• Candy: old-fashioned (Necco Wafers, Zotz), Asian (Hi-Chew, Hello Panda), Mexican (Malvabon, Puerquitos), sour candies

Small-batch ice cream, Italian sodas, and a candy wall from around the world, on the corner of Sixth & Sandusky.

Links

• Website: https://heysugarkck.wixsite.com/hey-sugar-on-strawbe
• Phone: (913) 232-9955
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heysugaronstrawberryhill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Hey-Sugar-on-Strawberry-Hill-100092671761609/

Sources

Footnotes

1. The Kansas City Star (republished via AOL) — “Ice cream, Italian soda, lots of candy: Sweet shop opens in a KC area that needed one.” https://www.aol.com/ice-cream-italian-soda-lots-103000573.html — asserts: owners Curtis Jay and Lorena Perez; address 426 N. Sixth St at the corner of Sixth & Sandusky, KCK; opened late June 2023 during the Third Friday Art Walk; 21 flavors of small-batch Bliss Artisan (Indiana) ice cream, shaved ice, Italian sodas, and a wide candy selection (Necco Wafers, Zotz, Hi-Chew, Hello Panda, Malvabon, Puerquitos, sour candies); ~six tables, toys, children’s books, camel mural by Tianna Hughes; owner’s rationale about a daytime family gap; hours noon–9 p.m. Mon–Sat, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sun. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Yelp — Hey Sugar on Strawberry Hill, 426 N 6th St, Kansas City, KS 66101 (listing updated June 2026, categorized Candy Stores). https://www.yelp.com/biz/hey-sugar-on-strawberry-hill-kansas-city — asserts: address; phone (913) 232-9955; candy/ice cream store; hours noon–9 p.m.; currently open with 2026 reviews and photos. ↩