The sweetest thing sweet chico confections There are few things that elicit memories of childhood quite like candy. Whether as rewards for good deeds, treasures obtained from Halloween door knocking, or the opening salvo by grandpa in his bid to remind everyone why he’s their favorite, candy never had to do much work to find a place in our hearts and minds. With its ease of adoption from such a young age, it’s no surprise candy shops once dotted every
landscape, as ubiquitous to developing towns as a general store. They also withstood the test of time throughout the world—the oldest of these still in existence can be found in Kyoto, Japan, founded in 1000 AD and now operated by the 24th generation of the original founding family. Known for delivering joy and extracting smiles from even the grumpiest of visitors, it should come as no surprise that candy shop
owners are among the happiest people you’ll ever meet. For Robin Klitzke, the promise of such an experience was more than she could pass up. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, Robin met her husband, Spence, while bartending in New Mexico. “It was a small town.” Robin recalled, “He walked into the bar, and I remembered thinking this was the only 31
