Fresno shop sells everything from yogurt soda to beef potato chips. Here’s what we tried
Looking for unusual flavors?
Exotii Snaxxs, 6125 North Blackstone Ave. in Fresno, offers a variety of tasty products imported from China, Japan, Thailand and South Korea as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.
The store, which is currently undergoing a rebranding process, will celebrate its grand reopening on Sunday, Oct. 20.
The walls of the the 1,025-square-feet store. are painted black with Chester Cheetah and Pokemon illustrations.
Fridges are filled with colorful drinks and desserts, while multiple aisles of candy, chips, cookies and other snacks line the floor.
How did Fresno snack shop start?
Robert Maynez and Joseph Cervantes started the business in November 2022
“ We wanted to make a family-friendly environment,” Maynez said, describing a place where “a kid in elementary school to adults, mom, dad and grandma grandpa can go to with the experience of trying something new.”
The business gets its specialty products shipped from a vendor who lives in Japan,
“ I wanted to bring healthier snacks and drinks to the community something we can’t eat here,” Cervantes said.
The shop also sells local snacks from Fresno businesses including Spicy Yummy Gummy, a candy shop at 4049 East Jensen Ave.
What can you find at Exotii Snaxxs?
Exotii Snaxxs carries a variety of snacks, drinks and desserts, ranging from pistachio-flavored Snickers candy bars to pineapple-grapefruit Fanta soda.
According to the business owners, the store carries more than 100 different products, including 45 flavors of chips.
One item that’s popular with kids is Ramune, a carbonated soft drink from Japan with a distinctive bottle design.
The soda, which is often called marble soda because of its fun marble stopper, comes in a variety of different flavors — including yogurt, blueberry, strawberry and pineapple
Mayneze’s favorite product at Exotii Snaxxs is cookies-and-cream-flavored Kit Kats from Japan, while Cervantes prefers Japanese chocolate sandwich crackers made by Ritz.
Customers say the shop offers a variety of fun treats to try.
Yelp reviewer Ashley L. of Fresno called Exotii Snaxxs a “hidden gem.”
“The store is set up nicely by category,” Barbara P. of Fresno wrote in her Yelp review, calling the shop’s staff “very friendly and welcoming.” “It’s easy to find what you’re looking for, and if you have any questions, the owner is very helpful.”
We tried 7 unusual snacks at store. Here’s what we thought
To explore what Exotii Snaxxs has to offer, The Fresno Bee sampled seven different unusual snacks.
We started with a bag of freeze-dried Skittle-like candy manufactured in the United States — and almost chipped a tooth.
Instead of having a soft and chewy texture the candies were crunchy with a burst of intense citrus flavor.
We then tried beef noodle soup-flavored potato chips made by Lays China.
We didn’t expect beef and potato chips to be a good combination but we were pleasantly surprised. The delicious chips were savory and spicy, with a barbecue kick at the end.
Anyone who loves a big, juicy steak should try out these chips.
Moving on to drinks, we sampled Blue Shock Mountain Dew, a berry citrus-flavored soda from Thailand.
Although the cobalt blue soft drink is a favorite among Exotii Snaxxs customers, we weren’t fans.
“It tastes like mouthwash,” one of The Bee’s tasters said.
We then switched gears and tried Baskin-Robbins Very Berry Strawberry Cubes from South Korea.
We were instant fans of the cubes. They had the texture of cereal with rich creamy insides and tasted exactly like a spoonful of strawberry ice cream.
Each bite was sweet and tasty, making the cubes the perfect mix of quick snack and fruity dessert.
While one of The Bee’s taste testers sampled Taiwain’s tongue-burning version of Doritos Flamin’ Hot chips, another took a delightful sip of a grape Fanta soda from Japan.
Last but not least, we sampled the Skittles chewies — a shell-less version of your favorite fruit-flavored candy. These candies aren’t a practical snack, since they tend to get stuck together, but they’d appeal to those who like chewy bubble gum.
Individual prices for the snacks we tried ranged from $5 to $10.
Want a surprise? Try a mystery box
Exotii Snaxxs sells mystery boxes for customers who want to try a variety of snacks but aren’t sure where to start.
For $50, you can get eight to 10 snacks, while a $75 box features 10 to 15 snacks.
The most expensive mystery box, priced at $100, has 16 to 20 items.
The mystery boxes feature a mix of everything for sale at the store, according to Cervantes.
What’s next for Blackstone Avenue store?
According to Cervantes, Exotii Snaxxs recently underwent a rebrand to appeal more to customers.
“The store looked more like an office space” at first, he said, with beige walls and no artwork. “We want to attract people to take videos and pictures in our store and post on social media. “
Cervantes said Exotii Snaxxs has the ability to function like a 7-Eleven convenience store for fans of imported foods and drinks.
He’d like to open “several locations in the city where everyone could come and enjoy the products.”
Exotii Snaxxs is working on a new website with merchandise items, mystery boxes and more for sale.
In addition, the business plans to offer gift cards and raffles, and partner with social media influencers, Cervantes said.
What are store open hours?
Exotii Snaxxs is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through and Sunday.
Customers can follow the business on Instagram or Facebook for updates.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 12:23 PM.
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