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♪ [ MUSIC ] ♪.
>> WELL, I STARTED WORKING IN
THE FAMILY BUSINESS WHEN I WAS
PROBABLY 13 OR 14.
STARTED WITH VERY SIMPLE TASKS
RELATED TO CHOCOLATE.
I DEVELOPED SKILLS OVER THE
YEARS, AND I LEARNED HOW TO DO
MORE THINGS, BUT IN THE EARLY
DAYS IT WAS WORKING AFTER SCHOOL
AND DURING HOLIDAYS.
WELL, IT IS A LOT OF FUN, AND
PEOPLE ARE -- THEY ENJOY BEING
HERE.
IT IS DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER
BUSINESS.
PEOPLE AREN'T COMING BECAUSE
THEY HAVE TO, IT IS SORT OF LIKE
A FUN ESCAPE FOR PEOPLE.
SO YOU ARE SEEING PEOPLE WHEN
THEY'RE HAPPY, AND SO THAT'S A
GOOD BUSINESS TO BE IN.
BUT THEN THE OTHER PART OF IT IS
THAT IT IS A VERY CREATIVE
OUTLET, IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO A
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN
ORDER TO KEEP IT INTERESTING.
I THINK IT IS CANDY AND
CHOCOLATE, THOSE ARE FOODS THAT
MAKE YOU HAPPY WHEN YOU EAT
THEM, ESPECIALLY WITH REGARD TO
CHOCOLATE.
IT HAS CERTAIN INGREDIENTS THAT
MAKE YOU HAPPY, THAT MAY GIVE
YOU THE FEELING OF HAPPINESS.
IT IS COMFORT FOOD IN A LOT OF
WAYS, AND PEOPLE ASSOCIATE CANDY
WITH -- AND CHOCOLATE WITH FUN
AND HAPPINESS.
WELL, EACH CANDY I THINK IN A
LOT OF WAYS ARE WORKS OF ART,
THE WAY IT IS PACKAGED, THE WAY
IT IS PUT TOGETHER.
YOU DON'T ONLY TASTE THINGS WITH
YOUR PALATE, BUT IT IS ALSO THE
WAY YOU PERCEIVE THEM AS WELL.
I THINK IT GOES TO -- AND OUR
APPROACH TO IT HERE IS WE HAVE
TAKEN AN ENTIRE STORE AND PUT IT
IN A WAY THAT'S FUN AND
COLORFUL.
CANDY THAT DOESN'T HAVE COLOR TO
IT VRS US ONE THAT DOES, YOUR
MIND IS GOING TO PERCEIVE THAT
DIFFERENTLY.
THE WAY YOU VISUALIZE SOMETHING
DOES AFFECT THE WAY YOU TASTE
IT, SO IT IS DEFINITELY AN
IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
OUR APPROACH HERE IS THAT WE DO
EVERYTHING BY HAND, TOO, SO,
UHM, IT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE
SPECIAL THAN SOMETHING THAT IS
MASS PRODUCED.
WHAT DREW US TO SPRINGFIELD.
WELL, WE HAVE A FRIEND AND A
PARTNER WHO LIVES HERE IN
SPRINGFIELD, AND IS INTERESTED
IN REVITALIZING THE COMMUNITY
AND GOT US INVOLVED.
WE WERE IMMEDIATELY DRAWN TO IT
AND WANTED TO NOT ONLY
PARTICIPATE IN THE
REVITALIZATION EFFORTS BUT ALSO
CREATE A BUSINESS DOWN HERE.
WE FELT LIKE WE HAD THE TOOLS
AND THE SKILLS TO MAKE THAT
WORK, AND SO WE DID.
THE STORE IS A UNIQUE SETTING
BECAUSE IT IS AN OLDER HOUSE
THAT YOU COULD NEVER REPRODUCE
TODAY.
IT WAS BUILT IN APPROXIMATELY
1911, SO IT IS A VERY OLD HOUSE.
WHEN WE DECORATED IT AND PAINTED
IT IN THE WAY THAT WOULD REFLECT
CANDY AND SO FORTH, IT REALLY
CAME ALIVE.
SO I THINK IT IS -- IT IS SORT
OF A THROW BACK IN A LOT OF
WAYS, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE
ENTERING INTO ANOTHER
ENVIRONMENT, IN A TIME -- IT IS
THE CANDY STORE THAT YOU ALWAYS
IMAGINED THAT MAYBE NEVER REALLY
EXISTED, BUT IT SORT OF DID IN
YOUR MIND, AND SO HERE IT IS.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN RECREATE
THAT ANY OTHER PLACE.
IT JUST HAPPENS THAT THIS
SETTING IN SPRINGFIELD WORKS OUT
PERFECTLY IN THIS HOUSE THAT'S
OVER 100 YEARS OLD, REALLY MAKES
IT WORK OUT WELL.
IF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE SORT
OF AT HOME, THEY'RE SORT OF A
GUEST IN A HOUSE HERE, SO IT IS
A VERY WELCOMING PLACE.
WE REALLY GET PEOPLE FROM ALL
OVER, NOT JUST SPRINGFIELD OR
DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO PEOPLE AS FAR
AWAY AS ORANGE PARK OR SOMETIMES
ST. AUGUSTINE.
SO WE REALLY HAVE ATTRACTED A
WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE, AND YOU
SEE THE SAME FACES.