Old fashioned candy store thriving in Sparta

SPARTA — A woman and her daughter entered the store. Immediately, the girl, about 10, was mesmerized, spinning slowly around to take in the whole store as if she were Dorothy freshly arriving in Oz. “I can’t believe this is real,” she exclaimed to her mom. “Neither can I,” mom replied. Then, came the line that Yvette Lusha, the owner of Nutty Over Sweets, has heard again and again in the five months she’s been open, “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were here.” The mom made plans to return the next morning to purchase a birthday basket, and even though she’d left her pocketbook in the car, the 10-year-old left with a few treats, compliments of Lusha. Lusha was tired of getting overcharged at the grocery store because her kids wanted candy in the check out aisle. “I’d get distracted by my boys and later look at my receipt and find I’d been overcharged. Something would get double scanned.” A native of Queens, New York, Lusha also had fond memories of going to the corner candy store. “There was one by every school, and all of us kids would go either before or usually after school.” Frustration plus a fond memory prompted her to pursue opening her own candy store. “I wanted it to be something very special … a throw back to the days of old featuring a range of popular and up-to-date confections plus a distinct old-time candy shop feel.” Lusha went to a fashion-oriented high school then to college at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. She spent her years after college designing for The Gap an The Limited. “I call on that background in this business, too,” she said in terms of designing baskets and setting up the store. Nutty Over Sweets prides itself on being a “true family experience” with something for everyone. “Parents love to take their children for a walk down memory lane while browsing our retro and nostalgic sections, often exclaiming, ‘I used to eat these when I was your age.‘” Lusha said, “And kids love to show mom and dad ‘what’s cool’ these days. Somewhere in between are the timeless treats we have come to love, and plenty of them. We also have sugar-free candies and a selection for those with specific food allergies.” “Our various types of nuts and dried fruits can be bought by weight or arranged into gift trays according to your needs. We have a stock of pre-made baskets for many occasions including holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, and get well wishes. We can also make custom gift trays and arrangements to order for all occasions, tailored specifically to color themes and candy preferences from individual pieces to large quantities,” said Lusha. She also encouraged people to ask about any unique candy needs. “Chances are we will be able to fulfill them.” From candy apples to Ashers Chocolates to chocolate covered pretzels of all kinds to Autumn Peanut Party Mix to gourmet jelly beans galore, licorice and lollipops, Nutty Over Sweets has it. That’s not even mentioning the candy from yesterday and the host of nuts against the side wall. “One of the touches that people love is my old fashioned music,” Lusha said. It radiates from an old fashioned radio behind the counter. Another aspect of the store is birthday parties, something Lusha said was “kind of my customers’ idea.” They asked and she delivered, so now, after hours, she holds very unique parties where kids make candy using molds then get to go home with a bag. “They take about an hour and are something really different,” Lusha said. The corporate baskets are another thing that materialized for the store. She’s doing a lot for State Farm and other corporate clients as well as many for families. “I remember one of the factors that led me to start the business was going to a birthday party and our only option living here in Sparta was to get a pre-fab chocolate gift box from a pharmacy,” Lusha said. “We can do any sort of basket including chocolates and any combination of candy and nuts a customer wants.” Living in Sparta is something Lusha and her husband hadn’t planned. Her sister had bought a house in Netcong, so the then Brooklynites headed to the country. “We got lost ... really lost,” Lusha laughed. Their path landed them in downtown Lake Mohawk during the Christmas Season. “The whole plaza was lit up for Christmas. I looked at my husband and said, ‘we have to find out where this is and we have to live here.’” They eventually found her sister’s home and she immediately identified it as Sparta. Six months later, the Lushas were residents, and now they’ve been in town for eight years. Lusha’s boys are 11, eight and two-and-a-half, and when her husband brings up “going for that girl” her answer is, “this store is so sweet, it’s our girl.” Regarding the economy, Lusha said business is going well for the new candy store. “Any lack of customers is that people don’t know we’re here, not the economy.” Nutty Over Sweets is located on the corner of Woodport Road and Pinecone Road, next to the cleaners. “There used to be a package store here, so most people know the location by that,“ Lusha said. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and “people don’t usually realize I’m open on Sundays, too,” she said, from noon to 5 p.m. The store’s web site is www.nuttyoversweets.com.