Family traditions mix with modern flair at this new Macon ice cream, candy shop

Downtown Macon is about to get a whole lot sweeter with the opening of Shuster’s Candy & Creamery, a new shop set to offer ice cream, candy, chocolates and alcohol-infused creations. 

Owners Jonathan and Tennille Shuster said opening a sweet shop has long been a dream for them, and Shuster’s Candy & Creamery brings together years of work and planning. 

“We want to offer everything to those people coming in the door,” Jonathan said. “Whether it’s just a casual walk around town with an ice cream cone to something a little more upscale.”

Modern flair with old-fashioned nostalgia

The idea to open a candy and creamery came from Jonathan Shuster’s grandparents, who owned a candy and ice cream shop in Newark, New Jersey, called Shuster’s Confectionary. Jonathan Shuster’s father and uncle grew up working the counter while his grandparents ran the store, and they all lived in a storeroom in the back that had been converted into an apartment. 

“It’s really been a big part of the family history and it’s been something that we talked about like, ‘What if we revived that? What if we did a Shuster’s Confectionary 2.0?’” Tenille Shuster said.

When designing the interior and choosing what to offer, the Shusters wanted to recreate the feeling of an old-fashioned candy and ice cream shop.

When walking through the doors of Shuster’s Candy & Creamery, patrons will be greeted by a riot of colors and basins along the walls brimming with butterscotch chews, Mary Janes, saltwater taffy and everything in between. A long counter at the store’s rear displays a rainbow of ice cream flavors. Even the bubblegum pink chairs are modeled after retro designs to evoke comfort and nostalgia. 

To make the shop wholly their own, though, the Shusters combined old favorites with modern and unique candy and creations. Most notably, the shop will offer drinks and desserts that combine beer, wine, ice cream and candy at a bar built-in to the space. 

Jonathan Shuster said they plan on partnering with local breweries, including Fall Line Brewery, to supply alcohol. 

“It’ll be very, very special, not just in terms of combinations of icecream and beer and wine, but also the types of beer and wine as well,” Jonathan Shuster said. 

The Shusters also mixed more modern candies into their selection to pair with nostalgic favorites so that everyone can find something to satisfy their sweet tooth. 

Candy and ice cream shop was a long time coming

The Shusters said they began seriously considering opening a sweet shop when they first moved to Macon from Fort Lauderdale in 2019. 

They almost immediately fell in love with downtown Macon’s quaint brick storefronts, unique restaurants and inviting streets. It was only missing one thing, the Shusters said: a place to stop for ice cream. 

“As soon as we got here, I was smitten. I wanted to be part of this community,” Jonathan Shuster said. 

But just as the Shusters started seriously considering the prospect of opening an ice cream and candy shop downtown, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and put their plans on hold. In the meantime, they studied up on running a business. 

While both Tennille and Jonathan Shuster had done consulting for graphic design and digital marketing, they had never run a brick-and-mortar retailer. 

“This is really our first foray into owning an actual storefront,” Tenille Shuster said. 

Jonathan Shuster enrolled in the Macon Entrepreneur’s Academy — a course run by NewTown Macon to train aspiring entrepreneurs in the basics of running a business — where he created a business plan for Shuster’s Candy & Creamery. 

Once they had a roadmap of what they wanted to do, they worked with NewTown Macon to find a space for their shop. They toured several spots in and around downtown, but struggled to find a fit. 

The Shusters said running an ice cream shop requires a lot of space as well as specific HVAC and electrical setups in order to accommodate the freezers required to store ice cream. Tennille and Jonathan Shuster said many of the storefronts would’ve required extensive and costly renovations. 

They finally found the perfect space in April this year, when they toured the storefront on Poplar Street that was once home to Philosophie Wine Bar. The wine bar had announced its closure just weeks before the Shusters found its old space. 

The store had an updated HVAC system and required minimal changes to its electrical system. It came with plenty of space for seating and merchandise displays, and even a walk-in wine cooler the Shusters converted into a kids’ party room. It even had a bar, which inspired the Shusters to create their menu of boozy milkshakes and desserts.

“We knew as soon as we came in here, we thought ‘“Oh, this is great!’” Tenille Shuster said. 

Tenille Shuster took the reins on designing logos, menus, merchandise and even the shop’s interior. She based the color palette around the store’s logo, with teal and pink dominating. She handmade much of the decor found in the shop, including sewing the awnings and crafting the ice cream cone-shaped bar lights out of foam, vinyl and craft paint. 

“I’m not an interior designer, it’s not my area of expertise,” Tenille Shuster said. “But being a graphic designer and a graphic design professor, I tried to leverage those skills to make sense in an interior space.”

Jonathan Shuster focused on promoting the shop and connecting with the community. A self-acclaimed people person, he often starts conversations with passersby who are drawn to the store’s logo and slogan — “Be Your Own Sugar Daddy.”

While he’ll still be doing some digital marketing work on the side, he said he’s looking forward to spending the majority of his time at Shuster’s Candy & Creamery bringing people joy in the form of sweet treats.

“I don’t care if I work 12 hour, 15 hour days, if I can bring joy to people who walk through that door, then that’s everything to me,” Jonathan Shuster said. 

Jonathan and Tennille Shuster said they are in the final stages of preparing Shuster’s Candy & Creamery, and are planning a soft open for July 23 between 4 and 7 p.m.

A grand opening will officially mark Shuster’s Candy & Creamery’s debut to the public on July 30 from 4 to 7 p.m.

This story was originally published July 22, 2025 at 6:00 AM.