Nine decades of excellence – Ariens Company still thriving today
Making a Difference: Keeping a father’s legacy alive
September 23, 2024
GILLETT – Peter Vorpahl took a big step to boost traffic and nostalgia in downtown Gillett when he and his wife, Wendy, opened Main Street Sweets, LLC (127 E. Main St.) last month.
“We lost a few businesses on Main Street, so I wanted to bring something else back to town to increase business for everybody,” Vorpahl said. “I was drawn to be a part of revitalizing the downtown.”
‘Community-minded’
Vorpahl said he was born and raised just outside of Gillett and has lived there his entire life.
“I did some logging, I worked in factories, I’m a volunteer firefighter, and I’m an EMT for local ambulance service,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of stuff in the community – I’ve always been community-minded.”
Vorpahl said he and Wendy started a craft supply store on Main Street called Gillett Handiworks eight years ago.
“We worked together to get that set up,” he said. “I better understood retail from working alongside her. Now, she and I are the owners of Main Street Sweets, LLC.”
What’s offered?
As for the store’s offerings, Vorpahl said he’s taken advice from lots of people on that topic.
“I started with candies that I like,” he said. “I also have four sons, and I considered what kind of candies they like and took their input. We also looked to our suppliers for advice, as well as other customers. Our Door County confectionery chocolates are popular, and Jelly Belly jelly beans are the top seller in the candy department.”
Vorpahl said Main Street Sweets has more than 40 different varieties of candies – everything from Nerds, Runts, Milk Duds and Bottle Caps to Taffy Town salt water taffy, Ring Pops and candy necklaces.
“Candy can be purchased by the pound, but some are individually priced,” he said.
Customer reaction while shopping for all of the sweet treats, Vorpahl said, makes him smile.
“One of the favorite things I hear are comments like, ‘I remember when my dad used to buy me this. I remember when my grandpa used to treat us to this,’” he said.
Besides various candies, Vorpahl said hand-scooped ice cream is offered and has been popular at the store.
“Ice cream flavor winners are Blue Moon, followed by Caramel Collision and then Cookie Monster, which is ice cream with cookie dough pieces,” he said.
In the future, Vorpahl said he plans to offer more ice cream offerings and indoor seating.
“I’m hoping to also offer soft-serve ice cream next summer,” he said. “I’m planning on having a small seating area indoors as well. We have benches and picnic tables for patio seating now.”
He said they also plan to add arcade games and an area for little ones.
Vorpahl said they have ample space for customers to roam around and enjoy the shopping experience.
“I’ve got a lot of candy, and we have a fair amount of room,” he said. “It’s unlike a cramped shop that is just packed with stuff… Ours is more open. You stand in one corner and you can see everything in the shop.”
Daily operations
Vorpahl said he is mostly in charge of the shop’s daily operations, though his wife will come over and lend a hand during busy times.
“Our sons also help us out,” he said. “It’s strictly family right now, but I am hoping to add some high school employees soon.”
Vorpahl said for his sons – which range in age from 16 to 28 – give them purpose.
“My two middle sons are autistic and work at the store,” he said. “Working at Main Street Sweets gives them a meaningful opportunity to be in the community and help out.”
Being a sole business owner has many challenges, Vorpahl said – the biggest of which is finding enough time in each day.
“I need to be here pretty much every hour we are open, so it is a challenge finding time for everything else I do,” he said. “(Owning your own business) is very time-consuming. Making time for family and all of the volunteer work I do is (certainly) challenging.”
For the community
The origin of the name, Vorpahl said, evolved with considerable thought.
“I had kicked around several ideas,” he said. “Some people suggested we call it ‘Pete’s Sweets,’ and (liked the idea of) including my name in there, but I didn’t want it to be about me. I wanted it to be about the community and believed that including the location was important. Everybody knows what Main Street is – a gathering place for a city.”
Vorpahl said Main Street Sweets was previously occupied by the store For You With Love Gift & Boutique.
The community of Gillett’s reaction to the shop, Vorpahl said, has been very positive.
“When I’m out and about in the community, people are talking about it favorably,” he said. “They’re all excited about it. Who doesn’t love candy?”
But it’s more than candy, Vorpahl said.
“When speaking of candy, it’s an emotional response you get,” he said. “It brings people back to their childhood. It’s the nostalgia of it all.”
When it comes to a shop dedicated solely to candy, Vorpahl said the option has not been available to the community, until now.
“(The people in Gillett) really haven’t had that option, other than going to a gas station or the grocery store or the five-and-dime store we had in town 25 years ago,” he said. “We used to call it penny candy.”
Main Street Sweets is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
The candy store is closed Tuesdays.
You can find out more on the store’s Facebook page.
