New Candy Shop Offers Sweet Treats

The sweet smell of fudge and chocolate surrounds you when you enter the new local candy shop in Collier Towns Square.

The Sweet Shoppe & Nut House offers a wide variety of fudge, caramel, chocolate, bark, rice crispy snacks, roasted nuts and gelato.

You’d think it would be a haven for kids, but it’s also a big attraction for adults.

That’s exactly what Laurie Temple, who opened the store in August, hoped when she took the leap from her job as a medical sales rep to become a small business owner.

“Everything is very fun,” Temple said. “I wanted to find a business that would appeal to my whole family.”

The key to the shop, Temple said, is that her “great staff” cooks the fudge and other treats from scratch. That’s very evident by the fresh treats and great smells all over the store the minute you walk through the doors.

“You walk in here and it’s fun,” she said. “It’s not like anything else.”

Well, almost. A friend in Flagstaff, Ariz., opened a similar store and Temple loved it so much she thought it could work here. They agreed to build a miniature franchise and are now working together to make the Sweet Shoppe a popular stop for people with a sweet tooth.

The long time Collier Township resident was tired of being away from home and wanted to find something that gave her flexibility to spend time with her family.

“Sometimes, I think people are afraid to jump,” Temple said. “I had a very successful career. They were shocked when I walked away… to make fudge.”

But she and her longtime friend, Patty Pfaff, jumped into the venture to try something new and different. Pfaff was stirring a giant cauldron of caramel Thursday morning and preparing to start a recipe for Candy Apples.

They’re learning as they go and grabbing quite a crowd with their unique treats and free samples.

“People ask if we can do something,” Temple said, alluding to parties, festivals or unusual recipes. “We can do anything because it’s ours.”