Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Cuzz's Candy and Novelties Opens

Cuzz's Candy and Novelties located at 72 Great Road (next to Ken's NY Deli) opened on August 23rd. I recently spoke to the owner, Kevin Stewart. Kevin a Bedford resident who works in the Lexington School Department, has had a dream for 30 years to open a penny candy store. As a kid he grew up with fond memories of Penny Candy stores. Recently he decided to try to sell Novelty items at flea markets. However with the price of gas going up, he figured it was cheaper to just rent a place and sell candy as well. He thought Bedford needed a candy store so he went ahead and opened the store.

Most of the Candy is "penny candy" in that you take a basket and fill it with candy from different containers. The price of the candy varies by individual item. Most of the Candy are ones you remember as a kid such as Bull Eyes (aka Caramel Creams). According to Kevin, the kids tend to gravitate towards "gross items", the grosser the better.

Along with penny candy items, Cuzz's also puts together custom gift baskets for occasions such as Birthday Parties, Weddings and raffles.

In addition to Candy, Cuzz's also offers a wide selection of Novelty Items.

I asked Kevin how he choose the name Cuzz's for his store. He mention that growing up, one of his cousins starting calling him Cuzz and the name stuck.

Proceeds from selected Novelty items are donated to Charity.

For Bedford Day, Cuzz's is planning to gave out flyers with coupons. For Halloween, they will be creating a special window display, lots of pumpkins and holiday decorations as well as special candy bags.

Kevin has been making Jewelry for years. His friends convinced him to display some of his items in the store. Most of the items sell for between $3-10 dollars.

The store currently has a 7 month lease (I'm guessing Bruce Blake is hoping to start demolition of the Blake Block in the spring). According to Kevin, if the store is doing well at that time, they will look for another nearby location. In the meanwhile he is looking to add Ice Cream and a soda machine. Cuzz's is open from 10AM-8PM Mon-Sat and Noon-6PM on Sundays.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The decision that you make is so great. The interior of the store is so humble and the outfit makes me feel elegant and friendly. My store have a new product - baby playpen right now. Hope your store have a new success.