Marini’s Candies in downtown Santa Cruz to close

Marini’s Candies in Downtown Santa Cruz is every sweet tooth’s dream. Rows of handmade chocolate, caramel, taffy, and other treats line the store.

Owner, Gino and Nick Marini , recently announced they will be closing their doors after 24 years of business. “We’re the 4th generation into this business. Not a lot of businesses last this long. We take a lot of pride in what we do, ” said Gino.

The Marinis followed in their parents’ footsteps and took over the family business. The first Marini candy shop dates back to the 1980s .

Wednesday, the family admitted they are navigating through change. ” When we started down here there were definitely more families walking around, shopping on the weekends, ice cream parties, ” said Nick.

The Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce said they have seen downtown change drastically in recent years. CEO, Casey Beyer, said new jobs, created by big names like Google and Amazon, are bringing a new crowd to the area. “We’re seeing a change in the demographics in Santa Cruz. The young, mobile, high-tech, entrepreneurial, type of person wants to live and work here. The downtown is going to reflect that change, ” said Beyer.

Beyer said while some businesses go, others are just coming in. He said 5 new restaurants have opened in downtown in the past six weeks. The Marini’s hope they can join them again in the future. “We’re not ruling out coming back down here or expanding other places. That’s also in the cards. Right now, I think the best thing for the company is for us to step back and reevaluate, ” said Gino.

Marini’s Candies’ Downtown Santa Cruz location will be open for the last time on Sunday, August 25th .

Marini’s Candies can still be enjoyed at their Wharf and West Side locations, and online at www.mariniscandies.com.