Classic, convenient confectionary
Toots Confectionary remains a Yarmouth icon thanks to dedicated owner
Everyone loves a classic, especially when it comes to their favourite tasty treats. From candy, soda, snacks and more, when a recipe for success is packaged, there’s no point in abandoning a good thing. No one knows this better than Toots Confectionary owner Fran Crowell.
Recently, Crowell returned to the nearly 75-year-old shop following her departure in 2019.
“I ran it until two years ago, and I left for two years, then I came back to re-establish it again,” says Fran Crowell. “It went downhill a little bit.”
Established in 1946, the convenience store was founded by Harold (Toots) Hatfield and his English war bride, Eileen, at 291 Main St. — where the shop remains. Taken over in 1984 by Crowell and spouse Byron Boudreau, it was the perfect opportunity to continue the important community business’ run while building on her husband’s snack vending business.
With a chocolate bar counter featuring seemingly endless variety, a huge assortment of candies formerly known as penny candies and every range of lollipop one could dream up, Toots offers tasty nostalgia.
However, Crowell says her amenability is what sets her business apart from many convenience stores. Stocking everything from candy, colouring books and even adult magazines, she continues to evolve to meet customers’ changing needs — while offering the service she’s become known for.
“We’ve been here so long and we service the people. We’re friendly and we accommodate as much as we can,” says Crowell. “We save magazines for people and call them to let them know that they’re in and we put them behind the cash for them until they come in. We do different things like that.”
Crowell’s return to the business came just before the COVID-19 pandemic made its arrival in Nova Scotia. However, her shop continued to offer convenience during an inconvenient time for many establishments.
“When we took it (Toots Confectionary) back over, it was in August, and COVID hit, like, four months later,” says Crowell. “So, we just kept it open and did the same thing as before. We’re not thriving, but we’re surviving.”
The shop’s survival is all thanks to the community Toots has served during its seven-decade stretch. Having been in Yarmouth for generations, it’s an integral piece of home that’s hard to forget.
“Even people that have moved away, they always make sure they come here,” says Crowell. “If they live in Calgary, they’ll say, ‘I couldn’t wait to get here,’ — that kind of thing.”
Making Toots even more iconic and recognizable is the fact that the shop looks exactly as it did in 1946. Minus a missing window, Crowell notes renovations to widen the building have kept its original look and integrity intact. With the passage of time continuing, she says her life with the shop is closer to the end than the beginning.
“Well, I’m getting up there in age; can’t say that I’m not,” says Crowell, who hopes the store will be left in good hands. “We’d like to see a family get it because there is a space upstairs with a vacant apartment; they could live right here and run the business.”
Meanwhile, Crowell continues to run her shop as she always has: with a timeless focus.
“It’s all about customer service,” says Crowell.