Vine Street has recently welcomed a new business, Thalia’s Sweets & Treats, a candy shop that provides unique and nostalgic candy selections from various decades.

Thalia’s came to be after co-owners Lisa Raub and Brady Huber felt a longing for a career that had more meaning to them. Both expressed a desire to slow down in order to give more time to their family and personal life. The store, which features nostalgic candy varieties as well as current trends, is named after their dog Thalia, a mixed breed emotional support and service animal.

On their opening day, they were able to share the experience as a family. The first 600 customers were greeted with free lemonade and ice cream pops, Raub and Huber giving back to the community with donations of leftover treats to local daycares and Hays Area Children’s Center.

“Our oldest, she named the store. Opening day, she grabbed a lid to a box and made a little sign. She stood outside and waved to everyone,” Raub said.

Thalia’s primarily sells candy, but also shows community involvement with a local wall where they display various merchandise from other Hays and Kansas small businesses.

Within their shop, a hit with the community has been their Decade boxes, which feature nostalgic candies from different eras.

“We try to stock with childhood favorites that you can’t really find anywhere,” Huber said.

In addition to their sentimental sweets, they also offer cotton candy, ice cream and modern, big name sweets.

Raub and Huber shared that they looked at a few other spaces, but after seeing the location at 1702 Vine Street, they snatched up the opportunity before the space could even be listed.

“Finding a place on Vine Street is very rare,” Raub said. Prior to Thalia’s, Yogi’s Vape Lounge occupied the space, adorned in purple and green. The pair shared that the most taxing part of the process was redesigning the interior, opting for softer pastels and candy stripe detailing to create the sweet treat setting.

“I could believe it,” Huber said. “If I told my younger self I’d be here, it would make sense. I love candy and I always have. I didn’t think I would because I never really wanted to own a business, but as a kid I could see it for myself.”

As they near the one month mark since opening, Huber describes his day-to-day as a much different experience than his prior work.

“There’s more free time, but it’s weird free time. I have a lot more, but a lot less at the same time. There is more responsibility for sure,” Huber said. “We get to set our own standards,” Raub added.

Moving forward, Raub and Huber hope to incorporate a confection kitchen and a mini bakery to provide a wider variety of treats to the community. They also hope to continue their community involvement. In the coming months, Thalia’s has been booked for weddings, birthdays and local events including Miles for Mason in August.

“The feedback and reception has been positive,” Huber said. “It’s been a good place for grandparents to show their grandkids a piece of their childhood. It’s been a fun experience in terms of things like that.

Thalia’s is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday.