A Park Rapids candy shop that has been serving up sweets for over forty years will reopen this summer under new owners along with a new location.

Married couple Bryan and Beth Hirt recently purchased Cuzzin’s Candy in Park Rapids. For them, their connection to the previous owners was personal. The couple was intending to buy the store earlier, but the sale was put on hold.

Besides these small changes, the family wants to keep the old-fashioned feel of Cuzzin’s very much alive. They have already begun expanding and held a soft opening for a second location last week. The second location also has a personal connection.

Bryan works as a 6th-grade teacher, so the opportunity to employ students was something that drew him and his wife to the role. Beth works as a physician’s assistant at a Park Rapids clinic. Both will keep their jobs while working in the candy shop seasonally. The couple’s children, aged seven to 13, are also being recruited to help out and have been discerning critics so far.

The official grand opening for Cuzzin’s Candy will be on May 28. Cuzzin’s is a seasonal operation, and this year they will stay open until Labor Day.

By — Betsy Melin