I found Passion in a New York Sweet Shop
After an amazing family trip to New York this is the last thing I thought I would be writing about! Yes, I found passion in abundance in a candy store, but probably not the kind of passion that immediately springs to your mind 😉
I was travelling with my partner, Elaine and 2 children Alfie and Jemima, now 20 and 18, and we had spent the morning cycling around Central Park – which was a wonderful retreat after all the hustle and bustle of the city. To be honest I was ready for a coffee and a break but Jemima was insistent that we had to visit an American Candy store and we were due to leave the next day. Jemima found one on google that was in the area – or so Jemima assumed…..
As it turned out we were on 56th having dropped off our hire-cycles and the shop was on 73rd, about a third of the way back up Central Park. So it was not what you would describe as nearby, but on the positive side, the walk gave us a chance to experience the upper East side residential area.
After about 45 minutes or so we found this tiny little haven of nostalgia, The Sweet Shop that, from a visual perspective, ticked all the boxes straight away.
Inside was just as appealing with bright colours, and a multitude of ‘candy’ that we hadn’t heard of in the UK to tempt our sweet tooths….
The passion was still to come!
We were welcomed into the shop by Matthew, the son of founder Kelly Jaime who, from our accents quickly deduced that we were from England and I stepped back as he and Jemima had an in-depth and enthusiastic conversation comparing tastes and styles in all things chocolate and candy, US vs UK.
Not wanting to miss out the parents, Matthew quizzed us on our tastes then disappeared in to the back of the shop to return with some exquisite Belgian chocolate for Elaine to try, and recommendations for us all based on our individual tastes. It appeared that there was nothing that this man did not know about candy and his enthusiasm was totally infectious.
Of course we bought a small selection of sweets that we just had to try after Matthew’s description – and were not disappointed when we tasted them. My favourite, as recommended, was a marshmallow centre covered in dark chocolate – gorgeous!!
So yes – totally unexpectedly, I discovered more purpose and passion in a small sweet shop than I had experienced for a while. The shop was originally set up by ‘The Candyman’, Kelly Jaime to sell home-made ice cream (the best in New York City, we were told) and quickly developed it range to what we see today. The shop is thriving and has a steady stream of regular customers of all ages who turn to Matthew and Kelly for their weekly treats.
I have no doubt that the essence of the brand that is The Sweet Shop, New York City is at the heart of the business. Not only is the business based on an authentic purpose to please, Matthew also has a personality that drives that passion, attracting the customer loyalty that is key to success.
After arriving at the store slightly grumpy and tired after a long day, I left completely energised having had one of the most memorable experiences of our stay in New York City.
Richard Flewitt
An insightful approach
to Brand Essence &
leadership
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