PRESCOTT – A new family business is about to open its doors in Prescott and it began with a trip to Florida, of all things.

Brian and Kelly Willner will open River City Sweets at 220 N. Broad St. Friday, May 31. The shop will feature the couple’s freeze-dried candy, old-fashioned candy, soda pop, cotton candy and ice cream. The Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon cutting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30 followed by a soft opening.

“It will give us some practice for next weekend,” Brian Willner laughed. “Scooping ice cream can be a lot harder than I thought.”

About four years ago, Kelly and her mother went to a farmer’s market in Florida where they discovered freeze-dried candy. She loved it so much that she wanted to try making it and selling it when she returned.

“When she brought it home four years ago, we thought it would be kind of cool. We had never seen or heard about it before,” Brian Willner said. “It takes the moisture out of the candy and intensifies the flavor. Skittles get crunchy, saltwater taffy melts in your mouth and doesn’t pull out a filling. Same with Milk Duds.”

They named the company Kitty Hawk Crunch and began selling it at area festivals, local farmers markets and craft fairs. Kelly researched the process and equipment thoroughly and before they knew it, they grew from one to four machines. The process takes 10-12 hours for candy, 24-48 hours for fruit.

“Kelly picks up on that stuff easily,” Brian Willner said. “It was a lot of trial and error.”

Soon they expanded their business to include wholesale: their freeze-dried candy can be found at Quaint & Quirky in Hastings, Hometown Sweets in Inver Grove Heights (Minn.), Sweeties Candies in North St. Paul and Ptacek’s in Prescott. They also ship orders and deliver locally.

“Every Friday and Sunday I’m out delivering candy. We have a pretty good following,” he said.

The Willners both work full-time jobs, so some nights get long when they’re up until 1 or 2 a.m. filling orders. The freeze-drying process takes time, plus prepping the candy for sale, labeling the packages and adding the ingredients list.

“We enjoy doing it because it’s ours,” Brian Willner said. “When we first started doing the events, people kind of looked at us like, ‘$5 for a bag of candy? No thank you.’ But once they tasted it, and we sample every event we do. We don’t anyone to spend money on a bag of candy and not like it.”

After running the business out of their home for one year and in a commercial kitchen in Hastings for four years, they decided to open a brick and mortar location when the perfect spot became available. The building that once housed a quilt shop and before that a tattoo shop is right on Main/Broad Street in Prescott.

“We maybe wanted to get into a store, but didn’t find the right spot right away,” Brian Willner said. “Our daughter was driving through and saw this place for rent. Two months later, here we are.”

The Willners lived in Prescott for 25 years as they raised their children and now live in Hastings. The couple’s kids and grandkids have been helping them get the store ready and will help them once it opens.

“My wife and I do it mainly, but our kids have been a huge help as well,” Brian Willner said. “My wife said, ‘Just trust me. I have a vision in my head.’ The colors and the painting. It’s all my kids and wife.”

Brian Willner said if it wasn’t for friends and family, they wouldn’t be ready to open next weekend. Many hands have helped with painting, electrical work, organization, and more.  

The store will also feature Cedar Crest ice cream, Northern Soda Company sodas (with unique flavors not found in convenience stores) and homemade cotton candy.

The Willners are thankful to the Prescott business community, including the Chamber, for their immediate support.

“Everyone has been supportive and stopped over,” Brian Willner said. “They have sent people our way already. People were knocking on our door last week. Everywhere I go in town, I’m asked, ‘When does the candy store open?’ It has all be positive which is really cool. It’s been kind of refreshing.”

Visit rivercitysweetswi.com for more information and hours.