Stacy and Peter Sullivan own the lovely little store known as the Sweet Shop. Nestled into a small lot on Los Altos Avenue, the Sweet Shop stands on the actual footprint of the tiny grocery store that preceded it. Neighbors in the area used to stop there to get milk, or to pick up an extra box of turkey stuffing to be sure they had enough when guests arrived. That little store remained on the site for close to sixty years!  Stacy Sullivan grew up in Los Altos Hills, not far from that original store. Sometimes she bought candy there…
Flash forward: I’m sitting in The Sweet Shop on Los Altos Avenue.  It’s a yummy little store that sells ice cream, cookies, cupcakes and candy, along with many other incredible sweets that I have yet to sample. It’s a Saturday in September, and everything smells like summer, because it still is…

The barista conjures up a killer latte with my name on it. Children of all ages wander through the tiny store, checking out the content in each of 38 old-fashioned glass candy jars. Kids of every age here are expected to”self- scoop.” And they learn to do it without spilling or touching the candy, according to owner, Stacy Sullivan.  Word is, that at any time of the day, you will find a mix of kids and adults of all ages.

Several “30-something” moms are seriously conversing on the patio by the frog pond. An older man reads his morning paper, enjoys his latte. Stacy’s mom (no kidding) pops in to say good morning and grabs a treat! It’s multi-generational.  That was part of the dream. It’s a safe place for kids of all ages. Customers range from 4 to 90-something. I mean, how cool is that!

The serious side: In addition to creating a multigenerational gathering place where everyone feels at home, Stacy and Peter want to give back to their community, and, as LANN readers well know, they have done exactly that. Once expenses are taken care of, all proceeds from Sweet Shop go directly to our local schools. They paid three local schools each $2000 this year. The store also employs eight student workers. At present the numbers are five students from Los Altos High, two from Gunn, and one from Mt. View. It varies…The Sweet Shop is in the north end of town which may explain why more Los Altos High kids end up working at the Sweet Shop than do students from other high schools.

Now…Drop everything and go visit! Treat yourself to a SWEET! As their website says,