In St. Joseph, there’re a lot of local small businesses that try and make a difference to the community. Anything from entertainment to coffee shops and diners. These businesses get to showcase who they are and what they offer St. Joseph. 

 

One business owner in particular is Wende Lilly. Lilly owns two businesses in St.Joseph and continues to give back to the community. Lilly owns Unique Unicorn, which is a house plant boutique downtown. Her newest business is called Schweetz Candy Co. 

 

“As a kid, we went to a place called Okoboji, Iowa. It's our favorite place to go and they have a candy store called the Sugar Shack.” Lilly Said. “I really modeled after that and that was the inspiration for Schweetz” 

 

Schweetz is a 90’s themed candy shop full of sweet treats to try. Lilly keeps up with all the sweet treat trends on TikTok and social media to bring St.Joseph something you can’t  get anywhere else. Everything from your typical Snickers bar to cacao mochi which is Japanese candy. Lilly keeps her prices reasonable while still keeping up with all the trends.  

 

“We offer some of the normal candies you can find but we also try to get other options.” Lilly said. “Right now we have some Taiwanese candy that is really popular. It tastes like a weird biscuit dough with fruit. We also have different kinds of licorice. Our cotton candy is super popular because we have so many different kinds.” 

 

Not only does Schweetz offer candy but they also will be having an old fashioned soda fountain. It’s from the 1920’s and has only been owned by one person. The history of the machine will be available for customers so they can get the full experience of Schweetz. 

 

Schweetz has been open for a few months now and continues to bring kids and the community joy. A lot of work has been done to Schweetz when it came to modeling the store. Lilly faced a seven week delay when remodeling the store due to the floor foundation of the building. Now that it is up and running, the store can really bring that retro 90’s vibe to all its guests. 

 

Although Wende Lilly is not from St.Joseph, her family and her have been living here since 2009 and her kids have grown up here. Lilly just wants to give back to the community and particularly downtown St.Joseph. Schweetz not only will offer a treat but also lets customers create memories and nostalgia. 

 

Griffons, next time you’re downtown, stop by 622 Francis Street and get a sweet treat at Schweetz.

Recommended for you