NH family's candy store could be facing its last Easter

PLAISTOW, N.H. — The recipes are a family secret and sugar runs in the Sanborn blood, but it could be the final Easter for a third generation candy store in New Hampshire.

Plaistow Town Officials could vote Wednesday night to sell the property the store is on to a heavy equipment company.

Ted Sanborn Jr. grew up spooling ribbon candy behind the counters at Sanborn’s Fine Candies, but after his grandfather died, other family members -- who own the land the store is on -- made an agreement to sell the property.

"It’s my livelihood, it’s my grandparents legacy. Anything happened, I promised them both that I would keep this going no matter what," Sanborn said Wednesday. "They want to bulldoze the store, the house and just line up all their machinery."

Wednesday night, Sanborn will beg Plaistow Planning Board Members to deny the land sale and save his family legacy.

"Sad. It makes me feel sad," a customer, Susan Kuhn, told Boston 25 News. "It’s really special to a community and it needs to be enjoyed and it needs to be treasured.

Kuhn has been buying her Easter candies at the store for nearly four decades and says the history should be preserved.

Sanborn just hopes he can fulfill the promise he made to his grandfather and to all the families who grew up enjoying the small treasures.

"We grew this town, we were a major contributor to that, and to see it go away is just awful," Sanborn said.

Sanborn said even if he loses the store, he’s vowing to open at another location, saying Sanborn won’t give up on the community.

Cox Media Group