Historic candy shop to close its doors.
After 106 years in business, San Jose’s landmark chocolatier, Schurra’s, will shutter its shop on The Alameda and look for new ways to sell candy beyond the brick-and-mortar realm.
In an email newsletter sent Tuesday morning to its customers, Schurra’s owners said: “After years of effort and difficult decisions, the Mundy family has had to face the harsh reality that our business model must change in order to survive.
“We are currently working on several options to continue our operation in one way or another. Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information.”
April 28 will be the last day of business at this location.
Last year, owner Brian Mundy went on hiatus during summer — those hot months are traditionally the slowest for the candy industry — and focused on the wholesale and mail-order side of his business.
On Tuesday, Mundy was too busy making candy in the back of the shop — he still does most of that work himself, a clerk said — to speculate on the future.
But customers out front were surprised and saddened to hear that their sweet stop wouldn’t be an option too much longer.
“That’s a shame,” said Rudy Schaarschmidt, of San Jose, who was shopping for gift boxes of artisan chocolates. “I always come here for the holidays. At Christmas, I wind up with $300 worth.”
Longtime customer Diane Robles brought in a group — her young granddaughters Rosabella, Roselynn and Zayleen Perez and their friend Lexi Lopez — to pick out Easter goodies at 30 percent off. The shelves still held chocolate eggs filled with buttercream, fruit cream, marshmallow, rocky road and more.
“This has been around forever! I remember when you used to be able to see them make chocolate in that window. The smell of chocolate … ” she said, her voice trailing off.
The company has been
in business in San Jose for more than 82 years. Albert and Justin Schurra (the name is pronounced shurray) launched their confectionery business in 1912 with shops in Stockton and Modesto. They moved to The Alameda in San Jose in the early 1930s, picking this spot because, as the website history recounts, “The Alameda, also known as the beautiful way, was San Jose’s premier neighborhood.”
In 1946, the Schurra family sold the business to Hank and Gayle Viehweger. According to the Mercury News archives, Schurra came back to teach Hank Viehweger the recipes and secrets of his trade, and Viehweger in turn taught those recipes and secrets to Bill and Marifran Mundy when they bought the business in 1983.
Mundy son Brian took over in 2005, though he had already been working with his parents for years.
Schurra’s is open regular hours this week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, until 5 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday-Monday). The final customer appreciation sale will start Tuesday, April 10, with all in-stock items 40 percent off. The final day of Schurra’s retail operation at 840 The Alameda will be Saturday, April 28. Details: www.schurrasfineconfections.com.