Holidays Help Candy Shop Survive the Winter

The cold weather in Port Jefferson usually means less foot traffic for stores, especially a store that features over 50 flavors of ice cream and yogurt such as . Thankfully for the owners, there are plenty of holidays to bump up sales.

For Christmas in particular, the store is able to break out holiday themed candy to bring customers back to their childhood. Sugar plums, candy canes, and specially-designed holiday chocolates were in high demand this season.

“Numberwise, if not for Christmas, sales would be flat,” said Frigate manager Pete Stratigos.

Stratigos went on to describe the winter cycle. “It slows down in December and then picks up for the Christmas season and winter vacations. January’s a slow month, but then you have Valentine’s Day in February. Then it picks up again when the weather warms up in March.”

General Manager Roger Rutherford, who’s been with the store for a decade, sees it as more than a candy shop. He points out the cappuccino and biscotti offerings along with the juice bar as items customers incorporate into their daily routines. He also said that being across from the ferry is a benefit as people can stop in for a hot cocoa or cappuccino to get their day started.

Rutherford said that sales for this Christmas were down, as they have been for the past four years. He blamed the economy for the dip, saying that corporate orders were down because companies were cutting back on holiday gift giving.

Economically, Rutherford believes the store is in good shape to survive for years to come.

“We make good money, not great money,” he said. “I know everything’s about the money these days, but we’re not a selfish business. We do well enough to employ a full-time staff, so we have a duty to stay here. If we can keep the lights on, keep the door open, that’s good enough for me.”

Although the economy is down, and that does affect the store’s corporate sales, Rutherford sees the Frigate as recession proof. He said that he doesn’t believe that people will deny giving their loved ones an inexpensive sweet because the market drops.

Strangely enough, one product that’s still in high demand is the ice cream.

“It sells just as well in the winter,” Stratigos said. “I haven’t been able to make the connection, but it works.”

Suffolk County Commissioner of Economic Development Yves Michel is one of those who didn’t believe the connection at first either. “I did some research on it, checked through Google. It appears that during winter months there are equal sales of ice cream as the summer months.”