You never outgrow a bottle of pop and your favorite candy bar. That’s what Ann Wiremalm Sims and Ineke Morris, co-owners of Rocket Fizz of Fayetteville, have seen time and time again over the last ten years.
“It’s a place for everybody, we don’t care who you are,” shared Wiremalm Sims.
Innumerable repeat customers, the formation of lifelong relationships, and the simple joy that a candy and soda shop holds to turn a bad day into a good one are all part of their decade-long history. Throughout December, they’re celebrating these pillars with special deals and surprise offers.
“It’s a happy place,” Wiremalm Sims explained, “When people walk in, you cannot be in a bad mood.”
The month will feature exclusive anniversary discounts, weekly specials, limited-edition holiday candles, and surprise flash deals, which will be announced on Facebook and Instagram.
Rocket Fizz Fayetteville’s story began in 2015. Wiremalm Sims, a military spouse who stayed home with her children, was shifting gears as her husband’s retirement neared. She wanted something new to focus on, and a random TV episode was all it took to spark her new career path.
“We watched an episode of Undercover Boss and Rocket Fizz was featured on it,” she explained. “Once we watched that episode, we looked into other franchises as well, but we were thinking, ‘Fayetteville doesn’t have anything like [Rocket Fizz],’ and we thought a candy store looked fun.”
With that, Wiremalm Sims’ path to franchise ownership was set in motion. It took several years to gain awareness and traction for the business, but with time, their brand grew and Rocket Fizz became a fixture.
“When we would talk to people and tell them what we were doing, they’d say, ‘We’ve already heard of that place! We’ve been there and love it!’” Wiremalm Sims shared. “That’s one of the most wonderful things to hear.”
Immediately upon opening, Wiremalm Sims hired a storefront manager. A mutual friend recommended Ineke Morris for the position. They had something in common that made the relationship a natural fit.
“She was kind of in the same situation as myself. Her husband was retired Air Force, and we’re both Europeans,” Wiremalm Sims explained. “She’s from the Netherlands, and I’m from Sweden.”
The two excelled at their respective job descriptions, Wiremalm Sims crunching numbers behind the scenes, and Morris handling operations in the store. Almost two years into the arrangement, Morris and her husband were thinking of opening their own franchise when Wiremalm Sims saw another opportunity.
“She and her husband were thinking of opening their own Rocket Fizz, and I said, ‘Well, why don’t you join forces with us instead?’ So that’s how we became co-owners and ever since then we’ve run the place together.”
In 2018, they opened a second location in Columbia, SC, but the venture was short-lived. It taught them just how strongly they felt about keeping a personal touch to their storefront. “We want to be present at that store, and the South Carolina location wasn’t what we expected it to be; the distance was hard.”
They closed it without any second thoughts.
“This is our baby,” Wiremalm Sims said of the Fayetteville location. “Instead of spreading ourselves thin, we wanted to do this one store well.”
“Do one store well,” they have, with customers staying in touch years later to keep fond memories alive, even after leaving the Fayetteville area. Wiremalm Sims recounted the custom soda can labels they previously offered at Rocket Fizz, and a particular bride and groom who ordered some for their wedding.
“That couple—we are still friends with them today, they always send us Thanksgiving and Christmas cards even though they don’t live here anymore.”
Repeat customers hold a place in her heart as well. One older lady made a habit of coming in with her daughters and buying ten small mystery bags and one large one. The tradition stuck out in Wiremalm Sims’ mind: “There are certain customers that you will never forget.”
For both regulars and new customers, a stop by Rocket Fizz during the month of December will be full of surprises and sweet discounts.
Many items are discounted 50% for purchases of ten items or more. Large bags of saltwater taffy cost the same as small bags. For mystery bags, which contain a surprise assortment of candy, one in every ten also contains a $5 gift card, and half the bags contain a ticket for a free soda. Other products in the store, such as tin signs, are marked buy one get one half-off. There’s even a prize wheel that customers can spin to gain exclusive prizes and discounts.
With a decade of serving up sweet treats behind them, Wiremalm Sims has one message for the community: “I hope we will be around to make people happy for another 10 years at least!”
Rocket Fizz is located at 1916 Skibo Rd. To find out more information about the shop, visit their website at https://rocketfizz.com/locations/rocket-fizz-fayetteville-nc/

(Photo: Ineke Morris, left, and Ann Wiremalm Sims, right, are the co-owners of Rocket Fizz in Fayetteville. The candy shop is celebrating ten years of business in Fayetteville. Photo courtesy of Ann Wiremalm Sims)