There is new life in the old Wein’s Building on Main Street in Clarion — two lives in fact.
Joe and Amy Scarnati, owners of Dan Smith’s Candies, purchased the store after Alan Wein closed the business, and they refurbished half the building as their new store.
Sugar Creek Boutique occupies the other half of the building.
“It is now the Main Street Emporium,” said Joe Scarnati. “We will have a new neon sign coming soon.”
“We salvaged a few of the store fixtures,” said Joe Scarnati. “The shelves were actually in the basement. We refinished them and moved them to the main floor. It gives it more of a candy shop look.”
“It was a lot of work but it was well worth it,” said Amy Scarnati.
“We wanted to expand our floor space because we wanted to have ice cream. We have worked with Brandy Camp Creamery in Elk County,” said Joe Scarnati. “There are eight flavors of ice cream.”
Joe Scarnati said “this is a fun store.” He said most of their stores have a Victorian theme but this space will be different.
“This store is light and airy,” he said.
Lisa Heller has been the manager of Dan Smith’s for more than 20 years.
“About nine out of every 10 customers who come into the store remember when it was Wein’s,” she said.
The second floor that once housed Wein’s children’s clothing is now a gift emporium. The space is leased to vendors.
“We have 30 vendors there now,” said Heller. “There is a wide range of items.”
“This is by far our busiest store,” said Amy Scarnati. There company also has stores in Brookville, DuBois, Ridgway and Indiana.
The Scarnatis purchased the business in 2015 shortly before Joe Scarnati retired as a Pennsylvania state senator.
“Our Brookville manufacturing plant is running at full capacity now,” said Joe Scarnati. “We are always looking to expand.”
He did not rule out Franklin as a possible location. “Show us a location and a manager and we will see,” he said.
The Dan Smith Candy Co. began as an ice cream company in 1946 on the porch of Dan Smith’s home in Brookville.
Encouraged by the success of his ice cream business, he decided to expand into making candy. His first store in Brookville was opposite the Sylvania factory that employed more than 700 people.