Nocatee teen’s candy business giving back in sweet way

ST JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A teen in Nocatee who started his own candy business from the ground up is putting a call out to charities here in Jacksonville

He wants to use his sweet treats to help fundraise for organizations and their causes. Except, these aren’t your typical kinda treats. Sweet Aloha Treats 904 is bringing the Aloha spirit to Jacksonville in the form of some tasty delicacies.

“We just want to be able to have fun, make this a hobby, and give back to the community,” said Odia Mapa, mother of 15-year-old Keegan Mapa.

It started in January when Keegan told his parents he wanted to freeze-dry normal candy after finding inspiration on TikTok. “I told them, ‘Let’s buy a machine! Let’s try new stuff,’” he recalled.

“I wasn’t convinced,” said dad Stephen Mapa. “[The machines] were thousands of dollars. They weren’t cheap so I needed to be convinced,” he laughed. “For him to convince me, he had to make something, and when he came upon making the milk duds which is my least favorite candy and he had me try it and I liked it, I was like, ‘Ok, this is kinda something,’” Mapa said.

The Hawaiian family now living in Jacksonville then instantly became business partners. ‘She’s the brains,” Mapa said, signaling to his wife, Odia. “I’m the brawn. That’s the genius right there!” he said of Keegan.

They even added more flavors to the mix. “Nerd clusters, Caramel M&Ms, Milk Duds, Fruit Rollups, and Jolly Ranchers,” Keegan described.

So, how does it work? “What the machine does to it heats them up to 145 degrees,” Keegan explained. “Then it freezes them down to negative 45 degrees then it suction bakes it so it sucks the moisture out of it and it causes them to expand and change the texture.”

The result is light and fluffy treats that pack some flavor. The bags of candy can take between six and 12 hours to make, and each is worth $6. A portion of that money is going back to the community.

“I just thought, like, it would be kinda selfish if I hoard all this money that I’m getting. I want to help people,” Keegan emphasized. So far, he’s donated a few hundred dollars to his church and the Red Cross but as this business grows, “hoping for thousands,” he said. At this point, Keegan has sold enough treats to buy a second machine and double inventory. You can even find his treats inside the vending machine at Nease High School’s Hospitality Academy.

Next, this family hopes to be able to partner with more charities. “We need help, we don’t really know what we’re doing,” Stephen admitted with a chuckle. " We’re trying our best. It’s a challenge. Every day we’re learning something new, together, which is cool. That’s the best part.”

“As we get bigger, the sky is the limit,” Odia added.

Sweet Aloha Treats 904 will also be at the 904 pop-up market May 22nd in Jacksonville Beach. To find out more, you can visit their Facebook page.

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