Martha’s Candies Reopens Under New Ownership
Under new ownership of mother-daughter duo Jana Jones and Joyanne Postajian, the nearly 40-year-old shop gets a new facelift.
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For Glendora native Joyanne Postajian, 24, heading into Martha’s Candies to peruse the array of sweet confections was a childhood ritual.
But when previous owner Pamela Ganas decided to shutter the store in December of last year, it was presumed to be the end for the nearly 40-year-old candy shop and fixture in Glendora’s downtown.
Ganas claimed a poor economy prevented her from turning a profit on the shop throughout the entire three years under her management.
But Postajian and her mother Jana Jones couldn’t bear to see the old-fashioned candy shop close.
Giving the candy shop a new coat of paint, lighting fixtures and a bigger selection of chocolates and other sugary sweets, Postajian and Jones reopened Martha’s Candies with Tuesday’s ribbon cutting.
“The candy store always had a place in my heart,” said Jones, 50. “Each time it changed hands, I always wished it was us. But it wasn’t the right time.”
Jones, also broker and owner of Ken Turner Real Estate, said she and her daughter will be the third owners of Martha’s Candies in the last five years.
While they know running any business in this economy is difficult, Postajian and Jones believe the store’s previous financial woes had more to do with management. The two established regular business hours, and increased and added variety to its inventory of chocolates, gummy worms, lollipops, chocolate-dipped confections and other sweets, including a selection of sugar free assortment.
Jones, who ironically is hypoglycemic and can’t eat sugar, said Martha’s Candies has the biggest selection of sugar free candy in the area.
“When I go out with my family, I love to go someplace where there’s good variety and I can also enjoy the sweets,” said Jones. “Most of the time, those places are hard to find.”
The store will also begin selling ice cream and ice cream sundaes. For a little nostalgia, the new owners also brought back the toy train that used to circle the shop on tracks overhead.
“We really tried to listen to what the community wanted,” said Jones.
Martha’s Candies, 133 1/2 N Glendora Ave, is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
Janek
7:46 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Three simple things to help - #1 longer hours/stable hours, #2 friendliness and hospitality go a LONG way, and #3 - good food too, not 6 month old ice cream.
GAYL SWINEHART
10:45 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
How "sweet" to see you re-open this shop and thank you for a wonderful outlook about the Glendora Village!
Kenny Diane Jones
10:50 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Great to see this store open again, would like to see coffee and cupcakes added to the menu.
Janelle
11:25 am on Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wow...for weigh-watching adults who want to bring the kids, the coffee idea is fantastic !! That would definitely bring me in. Plain is fine !
Chris
5:09 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
In all my years in Glendora, I have never seen Martha's candy look so wonderful. With all the fresh baked chocolates, old school candies, and hot brewed coffee, it's a great way to start my day off right. Hats off to the new owners.
Ian
8:04 pm on Thursday, January 19, 2012
I took my daughter there after school today. Very friendly staff. Amazing variety. Mint and chip ice cream was better than baskin robbins. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!
Jessica
12:05 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
I find it very sad how you put down the previous owner. Before the new owners, Martha's Candies did sell ice cream and had a variety of chocolates and sweets. There were flaws in their system because that was the first business Mrs.Ganas owned, but I think the people of Glendora, and around, should thank her for keeping the store open for 3 more years. If Mrs.Ganas did not buy the store then that location would have been turned into a yogurt shop. I thank Mrs.Ganas for sacrificing her finances and keeping Martha's around for as long as she could.
I wish only the best to the new owners and hopefully this time around people will realize that they have to actually shop at the store for the business to stay around.
Sarah
12:43 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
I totally agree with jessica.. Mrs. ganas did an amazing job running the business for as long as she did. She even put out a lot of her own money which she really didnt have to keep the shop open as long as she did. Glendora is supposed to b a loving town but instead you people are critising the previous owner.. She busted her butt running that store on top of dealing with her own personal issues.. and some if the facts stated above were in fact wrong. I have had the Ice cream that was there when mrs. ganad owned it and it was amazing... I also have had her variety of chocolates and sweets.. So before you try and put her down any more I would hope that you would at least get your info correct. And whoever wrote this article needs to sincerely apologize to mrs. ganas for the rude and un true facts listed above..
I wish nothing but the best to the new owners and can only hope you get more respect than mrs ganas was given.
Rochelle Young
9:55 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
You two ladies are already an asset to our lovely community....thanks for all you do.