The Sweet Tooth Candy & Gift Company, which has been providing local residents with fine confections and unique gifts for nearly 30 years, announced that the store will close on August 13.
Jeff Darby, who co-owns the store with Janet Dundee, said the closure could come sooner, depending on the quality of the “retirement sale” the store is currently running.
“We’ll be open as long as the merchandise lasts,” Darby said, “but we’ll definitely be closing by August 13.”
Dundee and Darby opened Sweet Tooth in September 1992, in the Farm Shopping Centre. It then moved to locations on Harvard Avenue; its current address is 3541 S. Harvard Ave.
Darby said there have been discussions about selling the shop to a new owner.
“But, to be honest, we really weren’t ready to give way to anyone else,” he said. “We’re at the point where we want to do different things, or focus on things that we’re passionate about that weren’t easy to do as part of running a business. So we decided that the best thing to do was just shut up, and make a big sale.”
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Sweet Tooth has earned a reputation for featuring local and regional candies and chocolates, as well as national and international brands. He has also been noted for creating unique gift baskets for customers for events such as weddings and birthdays, as well as holidays such as Easter.
The shop was also known for its often whimsical television advertisements, most of which featured Darby in some sort of costume.
The retirement sale starts with a 30% discount on seasonal and regular gift items. Throughout July and August, Sweet Tooth will be offering additional discounts on merchandise and candy. The shop will eventually offer its display cases, candy boxes and other displays for sale.
