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Seaside Candy is set to reopen on July 4th with a variety of new food items and decor.
Seaside Candy is set to reopen on July 4th with a variety of new food items and decor.
It has been a long wait for fans of Seaside Candy. After it closed due to the pandemic, owner Angela Frank planned on doing some remodeling and rebranding - but the process took longer than expected. Now, after two years, Seaside Candy will open on July 4th. Frank, whose realty office is now integrated inside the store, said many customers have come over and knocked on the door asking if Seaside Candy was open. “I knew it was time to reopen,” she said.
There are many exciting changes coming to Seaside Candy when its doors will open next week. One of them is the old style county fair donuts with all the toppings. Frank has purchased a machine that will make donuts on site and customers can see them being prepared though a glass shield. Frank, is a collector of vintage and antique items and will have many of her favorites at the store. Some of them include a 1916 old style penny press with 4 unique Imperial Beach impression plates, a wooden phone booth that can make local calls, an original car door from an Imperial Beach Police Department cruiser, a 1932 Hudson Terraplane car front grill, and old suitcases that have traveled all over the globe.
Just like before the pandemic Seaside Candy, which first opened in 2013, will offer a variety of fudge made on site, 22 flavors of Thrifty ice cream, and bulk candy. But the changes now include Peet’s Coffee, and breakfast and lunch offered by Seaside Kitchen. Frank’s husband, Ivan Krusic operates Seaside Kitchen which will serve favorite dishes like biscuits and gravy, specialty sandwiches and other home cooked items.
More novelties include nuts roasted with an old style Bavarian nut machine and customers will be able to chose from four to six flavors. As well as candied apples, gourmet chocolates and even balloons for the little ones. “It’s a match made in heaven,” said Don Fallon, one of the many friends who have lent a hand with the reopening of the store. “She likes candy and antiques and her husband likes to cook.”
Frank has tried to combine two of her favorite places - Disneyland and Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, a place she was very familiar with as a kid growing up in San Francisco - in the new Seaside Candy. The back of the store was expanded and booths have been replaced with old fashioned ice cream parlor tables and chairs, and a counter with stools for an old time feel. “I’m relieved and happy,” she said of reopening the store.“I love being here, I love talking to people. It’s a social place,” Frank said. She loves spending time showing customers her antiques and hearing their comments about remembering some items growing up. “This will bring a lot of memories to so many people,” she said.
Frank expects her talking blue and gold macaw named Cody to be an attraction for kids and adults. She is currently having a glass enclosure built for him on the outdoor patio. “We’ll see a lot of smiles on kids’ faces,” she said. The large outdoor patio has remained functional through the pandemic, and a group of older residents headed there everyday to sip on their coffees and chat. The outdoor patio will have some more color with planter boxes, and a piano that customers will be able to play. Frank is a person who cares about her community and she has shown that in many ways. Throughout the pandemic and until now Frank has continued to have a water bowl and dog biscuits outside the business. For the past four years Seaside Candy has hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for the military with a home cooked sit down meal. The store has also served as the Kiwanis Club’s regular meeting place for years.
Before the pandemic Seaside Candy hosted open mic and bands, through a special permit. Frank hopes to continue that tradition in the future. “There is a lot of talent in this town,” she said.
Frank has seen many generations enjoy the store over the years. “It’s family oriented, grandparents bring their grandkids here and the food will be a big addition,” she said. Kids of course love Seaside Candy. Frank smiles as she recalls a story about a group of 12 to 13 year olds on bikes she overheard talking about the store, and one of them saying, “I used to go there when I was a kid.”
Frank envisions Seaside Candy to be a locals hangout and a place where the MVHS football team comes over after a game for ice cream.
For those who love vintage and antiques going inside the store is an experience in itself. Expect to see an old washing machine, a 1940s stove, and copper penny tables and counters throughout.
Frank has lived in Imperial Beach since she was 19 years old and going to nursing school. She has worked in real estate for the past 25 years and owns 3-G Development. Frank likes to refer to herself as “the sweetest realtor in town,” as a nod to the store.
Expect to be surprised and meet Frank when you go in store who will tell you all about each antique piece.
Seaside Candy, 150 Palm Avenue. Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Vol. 38, No. 26 - Thursday, June 30, 2022
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