The Candy Lady open for business

A love of sweet treats and a desire for a fresh start in a small town have combined to the benefit of locals looking for another eating option.

Michelle Hubbell, known as "The Candy Lady," and her husband Eric Uecker, originally from Connecticut, were looking for a small community to join, and McMinnville fit the bill.

"My husband and I have been together for 12 years," Michelle said. "We moved to Tennessee four years ago to better ourselves and start a new dream in this beautiful state. We fell in love with McMinnville for the small-town atmosphere and the wonderful people here."

Before becoming "The Candy Lady," Michelle drove a school bus for 17 years and a coach bus for four years. Having been born with a sweet tooth and a love for baking, Michelle began trying to make her own creations.

"That started my sweet-treat dream of making candy and baked goods along with chicken salad sandwiches," Michelle said. 

Michelle and Eric started making treats for friends and family and then began taking their creations to craft fairs.

"Some friends at a craft fair jokingly called me 'The Candy Lady,' and it stuck," Michelle said.

About four weeks ago, Michelle and Eric opened The Candy Lady Sweets & Eats at 352 S. Chancery St. and things have been going well. The store had a ribbon cutting last Tuesday and the couple welcomes the public to come check it out. 

Despite the store's name, the offerings aren't limited to candy, although that is certainly a major feature.

"We offer a wide variety of homemade items," Michelle said. "Hot sauces, relishes, BBQ, spicy mustards, preserves, breads, cookies, cakes, pies, parfaits, chicken salad sandwiches, past salads, grape salad, acai bowls, sweet teas, rock candy, caramel popcorn, freeze-dried candy, fudge, cake balls, macarons, strawberry upside down cheese cake, banana pie, edible cookie dough and so much more. We also feature items from 'The Cake Lady' and Mountain Fusion freeze-dried candy."

And the store's inventory isn't limited to edible items. It also carries resin items, hair bows, purses and other items from vendors such as Puffs Boutique and R&S Resin Craft.

The Candy Lady Sweets & Eats is open Monday - Saturday from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. The store also offers catering. For more information, call (931) 304-8019 or email thecandyladysweetsandeats@gmail.com.

Pharmacy

closing

To close the year, I wrote in Business Pulse that my hope was to be able to write more about stores opening than closing in 2025. Well, this week is a wash. 

The opening of The Candy Lady is wonderful news. Unfortunately that is offset by the announcement last week that the Walgreens location at 318 N. Chancery St. will be closing. 

In the Oct. 16 edition of Business Monthly  I ran an Associated Press story that Walgreens had announced the closing of 1,200 locations over the next three years in an attempt to turn around its fortunes after a $3 billion quarterly loss.

To accompany the story, I ran a picture of the N. Chancery Walgreens with a caption pointing out McMinnville currently has two Walgreens locations. I feared two locations barely over a mile apart would be an easy target for a company making hard decisions about which stores to close.

Sadly, my fears were confirmed last week as Walgreens sent notification to customers stating the N. Chancery location will permanently close on Feb. 18. 

I spoke to a Walgreens employee who further elaborated that the store will close for good on Feb. 18 at noon. For those who have prescriptions at the pharmacy, they can easily be transferred to the remaining Walgreens at 1210 Smithville Hwy. or any other pharmacy of the customer's choosing. For more information on that process, customers can contact a pharmacist at Walgreens or visit www.walgreens.com/topic/pharmacy/store-closures.jsp?ec=SMS_DigitalRxNotification.

I asked what the closure meant for the current employees at the store and was told they would have the opportunity to transfer to pretty much any other Walgreens in the district if they choose to. 

Wendy's getting

new look

As any fan of Wendy's already knows, the restaurant at 1354 Sparta St. in front of Three Star Cinema is currently undergoing an extensive remodel. 

Always hungry for business news, (as well as a double mushroom bacon cheeseburger), I went to Wendy's on Thursday where the drive-thru window remains open while construction work is being done. Upon receiving my burger, which was delicious by the way, I asked a manager for details about the renovation. 

"We're redoing our store. It's going to be a brand-new store," Tiffany Pease, one of the Wendy's managers, told me. "We will be open until the 26th, and after that we'll be closed until they get it finished."

As far as exactly when the work will be finished, Tiffany couldn't yet say for sure. I think I speak for many fans of Wendy's when I say hopefully it won't take too long. The work is well underway and changes are evident, such as the removal of what I always referred to as the sun-room portion of the interior dining area.

The Wendy's franchise website touts a "Global Next Gen" design aesthetic with an increased focus on streamlining the experience for digital and delivery customers as well as more efficient kitchens . Exactly what we can expect when our local Wendy's debuts its new look, I'm not sure, but I eagerly anticipate seeing what the new-look restaurant will offer. 

Until next week,

Same biz day,

Same biz page

Thanks for reading. If you have a business you'd like to have featured or have business tips, email me at editor@southernstandard.com.