“Travel the world without stepping on a plane.” That’s the mission of Exotic Snack Guys, which opened at the College Mall in Bloomington last month.
Operating mostly out of malls, the international snack shop has expanded from one shop in Chicago to 32 locations in nine states.
The shop boasts drinks, chips and desserts from 40 countries. It also carries different trendy foods, such as Dubai chocolate and mango-shaped ice cream.
Dinesh Nune, one of the shop’s employees, says he’s seen price increases from the recent changes to tariffs.
“Some items … which came from China, they increased,” he said. “But most of the stuff, it was the same price when we started the store.”
The price of imported foods has increased 13.4 percent through April 2 this year, according to Yale's Budget Lab estimates.
The shop sees an average of $1,500 to $2,000 in sales every day, Nune said.
“Most of the customers, you know, they see everything, and it's like the first time seeing all different kinds of stuff right here,” he said.
The shop is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
