Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Schultz.
Hi Julie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2009 an unexpected opportunity to purchase Costas Candies & Restaurant was presented to my husband Grant & I. Costas was started in 1919 in downtown Owatonna by the Boosalis family and was owned and operated for 90 years by 3 generations of their family. When we were given this opportunity I was a stay-at-home mom, raising our 2 young children, with the intent to someday return to teaching. Grant was building houses with his dad in their family construction business. When we took over in 2009 Grant left the construction world and was more than full-time at Costas running the store – both the restaurant and candy side. I worked part-time while still staying home with our kids part-time. Over the years (with 2 more children in the family now), I began working more as the kids all entered school The candy portion of our business also grew over the years, causing us to begin to discuss how we could expand our business. Then COVID hit and we temporarily closed the restaurant, while continuing to operate the candy side. Within a few months we made the decision that it was time to close the restaurant permanently and do a remodel and expansion to operate as strictly a candy store. In August 2021 we began a full remodel, gutting the entire store and making a large production & packaging room and a much larger retail space that includes a viewing window so our customers can watch the candy being made. Costas Candies has now been part of the Owatonna community for 106 years, with us being the owners for nearly 16 years already. A lot of hard work, sacrifice and love has gone into making the business that we are proud to call ours. We wouldn’t be the business we are today without the support of our wonderful customers and employees.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning our own business and raising a family, while working side by side with our spouse has presented many joys, along with challenges. We’ve had many ups and downs over the past 16 years. We bought Costas in October 2009, right at the end of the economic recession, which was the worst since the Depression. While it was not a great time to buy a restaurant, we really had no place to go but up. Thankfully we were purchasing a well-known establishment and we were heading right into the busy holiday season for candy. The next big challenge over the years was keeping employees for the restaurant. The restaurant industry is known to struggle to keep good employees, especially in a small cafe. We had some amazing employees over the years & we were always so thankful for their dedication and hard work, especially when we were short staffed. As the candy side of our business continued to grow the next challenge was space constraints and how to make more candy when we didn’t have enough space. For us, our blessing and answer came with COVID. COVID forced us to close the restaurant (we chose to not operate as carryout due to needing to care for & teach our children, and not having enough staff to run take-out efficiently). Within a short time we realized that this was our sign to close the restaurant permanently. Now we know how much of a blessing this was to our business and our family, but at the time this was a very challenging and scary time to take this big leap of faith and change the long standing tradition of Costas Restaurant. After closing the restaurant we were presented with the big challenge of doing a full remodel in the shortest window of time possible because we would not be able to operate and make candy while we were closed. It took a year to make the plans, line up supplies and builders and time the remodel during our slow candy season. When we started the remodel project, we were blessed with the neighboring business allowing us to sell all of the candy we had made ahead in their extra space. But within 1 month we were sold out of candy and all we could do was wait and pray for the remodel and inspections to be done in time to reopen for the Christmas season. Thankfully everything went nearly as planned, with only a few delays and we were back open to make candy by early November.
Through all the struggles we’ve grown, adapted, and learned from each other and others. We’ve made it through the struggles because of leaning on each other, our families and our amazing staff who have become a part of our family.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Costas Candies?
Costas Candies has been making handmade candies for 106 years. We are known worldwide, having our candy shipped or delivered to all 50 states & 35+ countries on 6 continents. Making candy is an art and a science, requiring care, precision and a passion for making quality, decadent treats at Costas. We are most known for our buttercaramels, the original candy at Costas. Our caramels are also made covered in chocolate, with seasalt, with pecans (turtles) and our newest caramel varieties: cocoa caramels & cinnamon caramels. We also make toffee, buttercremes, nut clusters, truffles, and some specialty candies like peanut butter delights, heavenly hash and smores. All of our candy is handmade, from 2 hours of stirring by hand to make the caramel, to the cutting, rolling and dipping every piece of candy individually and even wrapping the candy to sell, we complete every step by hand. Many of our candies take 3 days from start to finish, a true labor of love. Our candy does not use preservatives, so it’s all fresh, with about a 2 month shelf life. We are most proud of the care and love that goes into every piece of candy, so that you want to enjoy more and that our customers become a part of the Costas family.
How do you think about happiness?
I am happy when I see the hard work that my husband and I have put into our business has been worth it to establish a stronger business. I am proud of all we have accomplished. I am happy when I see the smile on people’s faces and the joy that our candy brings to people. We have so many customers who come in and tell us a story of their grandparents or great-grandparents coming to Costas and they are continuing the tradition of a box of Costas for Christmas for the family. Or the couple who is celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and have had a box of Costas every Valentine’s day. We’ve heard stories of couples who were on their first date at Costas, or the families who celebrate the life of a loved one with Costas because that was his favorite treat. It makes so happy to see that we are a part of memories for so many families.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.costascandies.com
- Instagram: costascandies
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/costascandies
