Two famous actors save a candy shop in their city after the owner passes away
The places we grew up in have certainly helped shape us and make us the people we are today. Seeing these places change for many reasons over time may be inevitable, but there are those who are committed to keeping the community environment as original and authentic as possible. Two well-known faces from the silver screen decided to help an old candy store revive its fortunes after its owner passed away. At the point in history where the Covid-19 pandemic is hurting many merchants and businesses, the financial help of two famous Hollywood actors managed to relaunch a shop that seemed destined to close forever. Why did they do it? Because it was a place they used to go to as young people, and because it is a historic city shop which everyone knows and which nobody would want to see closed for good. In a sense, they gave themselves a gift by keeping it open and, at the same time, they gave a gift to their community.
via USA Today
Samuel's sweet shop on East Market Street, Rhinebeck (USA), is one of those places where you can really find everything you need in terms of confectionery: a wide range of candies, desserts and pastries, displayed on the counters and stacked on the shelves, often decorated with an attractive glaze and pastel colors that match the old-time packaging of this timeless place. Actors Paul Rudd and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, along with their wives, decided to help out this wonderful shop in their hometown after the original owner, Ira Gutner, passed away. Simply put, the actors decided to buy the shop and keep it exactly as it was. They themselves had frequented the shop often and, at other times, they had also given Ira a hand, for example, by crewing the counter or manning the tills.
Actors often make investments or donate to charities, and perhaps this particular investment in their hometown candy store initially seemed strange. Thanks to them, however, the place is back on its feet and is now managed by John Traver - a man who had worked for Ira since he was 15 years old. It goes without saying that not only has the economy of small business owners in the city recovered, but so too has the candy place. The shop - which looks like a cross between a small café and a pastry shop - has once again gotten itself into gear. "Everyone knows the store's name," said a 45-year-old local man, "The coffee is great and it's wonderful to see what's happening at the store in terms of support."
In short, this investment was a good deed for the entire community, which today can celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary!
