Peeps…a cultural phenomena. It’s hard to believe they were introduced half a century ago. I totally remember looking forward to them every year in my Easter basket. The lovely sugar-coated gooey goodness. Even though you had to open the entire pack of 12 to get 1 out, and the others solidified in a matter of hours, we loved our Peeps. AND we loved messing with them. We nuked them in the microwave, we put them through torturous “science experiments,” and we glued them in ways that any avant garde artist would bite his hand in envy…

Just Born, maker of the chick- and bunny-shaped marshmallow Easter favorites, is officially opening the first store devoted to Peeps last month. The shop, located in a mall near Washington, D.C., sells over 800 Peeps products, including plush toys, china, and even a fancy hand-blown glass Peep. Now its completely different, kids like remote control cars.

First Peeps store in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

“Our fans have asked us for years, ‘What about a store?’ ’’ said Kathy Bassininski, who managed the creation of Peeps & Company stores for Just Born.

Nearly 30 newspapers held Peeps diorama contests last Easter, and the company said 100,000 people are registered with its Peeps fan club.

The store is a monument to the marshmallows, with neon yellow awnings, chick-shaped door handles, and 3-D chick tile work behind the register. There are chick-shaped mouse pads ($4.90), sweat shirts that say “DC Peeps’’ ($59.90), a 42-inch-tall plush Peep for $250, and the china, from 130-year-old tableware maker Lenox Corp., for $50 to $100 per piece. The artwork on the walls is also for sale.

Most of the offerings are not edible, but the store does sell the spongy chicks, which have a shelf life similar to Twinkies’ (which means they can survive nuclear war) and were first produced in the 1950s. Bunnies in six colors later joined them, and the new store will stock seasonal marshmallow treats such as Valentine hearts and Christmas trees. I love the fact that Just Born saw a way to play off of the nostalgia surrounding Peeps and take it to a new level with a storefront. Solidifying a place in our minds and hearts for many sugary years to come. ROAD TRIP!