Release Date: Monday, January 24th 2011
Tempe entrepreneur treats himself to a sweet, new career
SOURCE: Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ)
AUDIENCE: 2,645,851 [provided by Nielsen//NetRatings]
DATE: 01−14−2011
HEADLINE: Tempe entrepreneur treats himself to a sweet, new career
Source Website
Tempe entrepreneur treats himself to a sweet, new career
by Georgann Yara − Jan. 15, 2011 06:16 AM Special for the Republic
When Frank Ellis moved to Tempe last May, he wanted more than a change in scenery.
After 30 years as an electrical and computer science engineer in the Silicon Valley, Ellis' desire to get out of the corporate grind resulted in the Candy Addict, a new candy store that opened Dec. 26 on Mill Avenue.
The Candy Addict in Tempe The shop features more than 1,150 types of treats, ranging from current to old−fashioned favorites.
"In many ways, it's much harder work," Ellis said, comparing his second career to his first. "But in the corporate (world), you can spend all of your time in front of the computer screen. . . . You just don't get that same level of interpersonal interaction with people. I enjoy that personal contact with customers."
Ellis moved from San Jose when his wife, Pam, the vice president and general manager of a stock−management company, received a job transfer.
The couple moved into a home near downtown Tempeand wanted to pursue one of their many retail concepts for an independent business.
They saw the vacant storefront at 414 S. Mill Ave, and their vision clicked.
"We saw the space, the big open windows, big double doors. We looked at that and said, 'Candy store,' " Ellis said.
The 1,250−square−foot space that formerly housed a mobile−phone shop now features shelves loaded with every type of sugary and chocolate treat imaginable, many of them nostalgic candies such as old−fashioned lollipops, Pez dispensers and others that customers haven't seen for decades.
The European Cadbury chocolates, sour candies and wrapped bulk candies that sell for $2.49 for 1/4−pound are among the most popular. A 24−foot−long wall at the south side of the store features gum and mints and pinatas in the shape of baseballs. Lipstick and flip−flops line top shelves.
Fun items include wax lips and mustaches and collectables such as a Hello Kitty lunch pail that comes with matching Pez dispensers. There is also a half−pound gummy bear on a stick, which Ellis has sold 40 of since he opened. There are retro candy sticks that sell for 20 cents apiece and the gourmet truffle line Cocopotamus that sells for $1.89−$2.29 each.
The truffles are Ellis' favorite and will be included with celebrity gift bags for the 2011 Academy Awards. "I love the truffles. I limit myself to one a week. I really have to have self−control," he said. Customers can buy gift cards in amounts of $10 and above.
Candy has always been a personal passion for the Ellises. Whenever they would travel abroad, Ellis said they would make a beeline for every candy store he and his wife spotted. They once spent 90 minutes in a candy
