Nita Hilliard and her daughter, JoHanna Brooks, will bid a bitter sweet farewell after 6 years to Mercari/Bonners Ferry Candy and Creations. 

Hilliard and Brooks are as blue as the footprints leading to the downtown candy store at 6416 Bonner St., but also look forward to the change. 

“We are the only candy shop that makes the candy right here on site” Hilliard said. “We have been making candy in our family for 22 years, pride and true, and we will continue after the shop is closed.”

Hilliard said they will still make candy for their weekly orders, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and for baskets and boxes.

“We are grateful for the support of this community and want to continue serving loyal  customers,” said Hilliard.

Brooks has daughters, Kaye, 7, and MaKayla, 2, and a 7- week- old son Ashtin, to keep her  busy at home and can’t devote as much time to the shop as she used to.  

“I have been busy with working with Primerica Financial Services and it is more lucrative, so I had to make the difficult choice to close the candy shop,” Hilliard said.

The candy shop, which also carries gift items, has marked everything in the store 30 percent off from now until closing.  No definite date is set, but they are targeting for  the end of July.

“Everything has to go even the display cases,” said Hilliard.

She can be reached at 610-6025 for future candy orders.