THE SPEACH FAMILY CANDY SHOPPE

from Table Hopping February 2022

Business of interest

by nancY roBertS

The Speach Family Candy Shoppe

“One of my favorite stories about Valentine’s Day and chocolates,” Michael Speach told me, “was about a special offer we had on our highly decorative and unique heart boxes. If a customer brought one back in, as long as it was in good condition and it had our label on it – we’d refill it with the items they chose to buy the next year, and the year after that. We had one gentleman who came in year after year and got a special assortment to fill that same box. Every year. Well one year, he didn’t show up – but his wife did. He had passed away, but she wanted to keep that tradition going, so she was going to fill that very special box with candy for her kids and grandkids. That’s the kind of thing that keeps us working as hard as we do with Valentine’s Day and Easter coming up – the stories we share with customers. That, and a sense of humor!” I asked Speach if he knew how Valentine’s Day and chocolate came to be so closely associated, and as it turns out, while chocolate and love go all the way back to the Aztecs, it was in 1861 that British chocolatier Richard Cadbury got the brilliant idea to package his chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, decorated with Cupids, frills and bows. The tradition has never gone out of style. But if you want to explore the whole idea of “sweets” and “fun” this holiday, or any holiday, you owe it to yourself to visit the Speach Family Candy Shoppe. Just a quick stop on the website will give you all you need to know: the company is about delicious, absolutely. But it’s also quite clear that it’s about fun, joy, and sharing some “happy,” especially in a time that’s been a challenge for us all.

“When a child comes in the store,” Speach told me, “they just go crazy before they’ve finished looking in the first aisle. But we find that when an adult comes in, they feel young again, too. But it’s more than nostalgia, finding candy from your own childhood, or wanting to try something new. It’s that people want to feel good, have a laugh, or look forward to something.” He explained that a novelty mix – “For the Love of Vinyl Tray” – came out of his staff dedicating Friday’s at work to a little fun, listening to vinyl records to keep things happy and lighten the load, since they were an “essential business” (and candy is definitely essential!) and stayed open throughout the

“We had one gentleman early days of the pandemic. “Now we sell a box that is dedicated who came in year after year to the vinyl lover. Real vinyl records are melted into a candy and got a special assortment to tray that’s going to make any vinyl collector delighted. They’re fill that same box. Every year.” available in 45 RPM or 33 1/3 RPM styles, and come with a Speach Family Sweet Studios label that will be unique to every order.”

Speach admitted that he gets less and less sleep as February looms ahead, knowing that one of their, if not the biggest candy selling seasons of the year is coming up. “So humor is our way of enjoying the holidays.”

This Christmas, the company offered “Snowman Poo,” and it was a hit, so they decided to see what Cupid had to offer. Cupid Poo (“Love Happens”) turns out to be a white chocolate party mix made with cereal, mixed nuts, pretzels, cinnamon, chocolate candies and red hots – and served up by a unique version of Cupid, complete with fluffy wings and a special smile. When you see him, you’ll fall in love!

There are molded chocolates in everything from traditional, to absolutely silly, to adult; a delicious assortment of fudge; miniatures; chocolate covered pretzels and chips; and something called a “brickle,” 80 different varieties of the Speach version of chocolate bark – crisp, flavorful, and offered in both beautiful and bubbly styles to suit a special holiday, occasion or gift.

If you were to simply meet Michael Speach, or any one of his family or co-workers, you’d think that surely this merry and motley crew created the company. Not so. It’s actually a family affair, having been started by Michael’s great-grandfather, Michele

Michael Speach

Spicciati, who emigrated to the United States to join some of his family already here. Like many new Americans, he moved around, worked at various jobs, and eventually ended up in Syracuse working for a cough drop company, where he learned the basics of candy making. Equipped with the essentials, Michele became intrigued with the magic – dreaming up an idea, blending just the right ingredients, cooking and mixing them “just so” and cooling and packaging them when they’re perfect for wrapping, and then waiting to see the smile the flavor would bring to a customer’s face. “Today, we still make some of the recipes he handed down, along with others my mother created,” Speach said. “Each generation has expanded the line. I added the alcohol flavorings to some Truffles, and we call them ‘Top Shelf Truffles.’ A little cocktail, a little dessert.” The Chocoholic Box was a result of the pandemic, hitting as it did just before Easter. “We had a lot of product to move,” explains Speach. “So we started creating a mystery box. There were six different designs, all related to COVID. ‘Just a Test’ came with an empty roll of toilet paper; or the ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ was wrapped with caution tape in a bright red box. We packaged them up in six different sizes, flavors and mixes. We were selling them locally and on-line through our website, when someone from Amazon contacted us about a subscription box idea. In June we’ll have been selling them that way for two years. You can still order a single surprise box direct from us, or subscribe through Amazon. You never know how a product will get created. A bride wanted a ‘care package’ to give to her guests who couldn’t attend her wedding – so she had us make a bride and groom chocolate covered pretzel rod!”

A glance at the website assures you that in addition to candies, old and new, traditional and custom – including some of your old favorites like Black Jack Gum, Necco Wafers and Licorice Laces – two other important offerings are family: relatives; co-workers; and the greater community; and fun.

The company is proud of its record of fundraisers, partnering with a wide range of local organizations to help raise up the community that supports them, celebrating 2020 as its official 10 Decades (yes, that’s 100 years!) of Giving.

And the fun just oozes out of every little thing about The Speach Family Candy Shoppe. From specialty gifts of the non-edible variety to just about everything sweet (and sassy) that’s more-than-fit to serve, you’ll find it at your home-town candy shoppe.

You can order online, but stop in if you can – including Sunday, February 13th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The spirit of sweet is contagious, and you’re bound to leave with something delicious, and a smile on your face. Subscription Box

“It’s that people want to feel good, have a laugh, or look forward to something. Humor is our way of enjoying the holidays.”

2400 Lodi Street Syracuse, NY 13208

315-478-3100 855-472-2639

www.speachfamilycandy.com

Hours:

Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM Sunday Closed Sunday, February 13th OPEN Noon-Five (special hours pre-Valentine’s)

You may also schedule an appointment by: calling: 315-478-3100 • e-mail: speachcandy@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/speachfamilycandy Twitter: @SpeachCandy Instagram: speachcandy

now Playing

by Brian Miller

NOW PLAYING

TABLE HOPPING

The Matrix Resurrections

I’m not sure how many folks there were out there clamoring for a new MATRIX movie, but when Warner Brothers announced that the groundbreaking franchise was getting another chapter, buzz began to build. Upon its release in 1999, THE MATRIX became a cultural phenomenon. The “bullet time” effect blew everyone’s collective minds, and from that second forward, it (or some variation) was utilized in virtually every action movie for years to come. Though this particular effect was revolutionary, the wonderment didn’t stop there. The trilogy itself was chock full of dazzling sequences (including one of the great car chases in cinematic history) and deep, often confounding philosophical musings. Its conclusion seemed to provide a fitting end to the story, so I don’t think a continuation of the saga was on anyone’s radar.

Released simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS certainly does not provide the same game-changing thrills as the original, but does emerge as a welcome return to a world that I hadn’t realized that I had missed. As RESURRECTIONS begins, Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) works as a video game developer. He had struck gold with his Matrix series, which had become one of the most popular franchises of all time. With this, we learn that the events of the original trilogy were little more than his professional creation, though

Carrie Ann Moss

“The true delight of RESURRECTIONS is watching Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss back together again.”

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Keanu Reeves

admittedly, he had inserted portions of himself within the character of Neo. He struggles with crippling nerves and anxiety, constantly questioning what is real and what isn’t. With the help of his therapist (a delightfully cast Neil Patrick Harris) he takes blue pills days in an effort to keep himself grounded in reality.

The whole “the events of THE MATRIX were just a video game” revelation would normally serve as the surprise twist in most productions, but here, it’s the foundation of the entire film. Little does Neo know that the life he is currently inhabiting isn’t real, and what unfolded in his video game actually occurred. This blurred line of reality is about to dissipate, and Neo will once again be called upon to be “the one.” Those who can’t recall the specifics of the original trilogy need not fear that they’ll be lost this time around. RESURRECTIONS doesn’t simply recap important moments, it features clips (particularly that of Trinity’s death) in abundance. It happened so frequently, in fact, that it was almost confounding. I’m not sure that I can ever recall a time when a new film featured so many clips from an old one. At times it felt as if “The Matrix’s Greatest Hits” was being interjected throughout this new installment, and though I appreciated the reminders, I found the sheer volume of these moments to be somewhat off-putting. Director Lana Wachowski follows the same formula and plot points that worked so well in 1999, yet does so in a way that keeps the audience engaged and entertained. It hits all the right notes of nostalgia, while delivering a number of thrilling action sequences that aren’t quite as innovative as their predecessors, but still exciting enough justify their own existence. New iterations of characters such as Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and Smith (Jonathan Groff) were stand outs in this regard. The true delight of RESURRECTIONS is watching Reeves and Carrie Ann Moss back together again. The Neil Patrick Harris chemistry between the two is as strong as it has ever been, and there is a genuine comfort in seeing them share the screen.

Once Neo realizes the true nature of his existence, he will stop at nothing to save Trinity from forever flailing in the Matrix. As Thomas Anderson, the two had struck up a relationship of sorts after meeting in a coffee shop. She is aware of his video game, and though she is married with children, she can’t help but find an inexplicable link between herself, and the character of Trinity within the game.

Though at this point there is no plan for future MATRIX films, RESSURECTIONS lays down a foundation to build upon, and Reeves is already on record as saying he’d absolutely return if asked. It seems hard to believe that this is the last that we have seen of Neo and Trinity, and admittedly, I’m far more interested to see where it goes now than I expected to be. THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS: B (Now showing in theaters, no longer available to view on HBO Max)

tHE MAtrIx: rESurrECtIONS

rAtED: R ruN tIME: 2h 28min GENrE: Action, Sci-Fi StArrING: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II DIrECtOr: Lana Wachowski WrItErS: Lana Wachowski GRADE: B