LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Valentine's Day has love in the air all over Lexington.
It's a scent about as strong as the smell of chocolate as you walk into Sharp's on Regency Road.
For Rob and Lisa Sharp, the ultimate satisfaction is seeing customers taken in by the aroma.
“People come in and are immediately like, ‘Oh my God, it smells like heaven.’ We’re like, ‘Can I help you find anything?’ and they say, ‘No, I just want to smell, and I want to look,'" Lisa Sharp said.
Whether it's gummy, fudgy, nutty, or chocolaty, there's no shortage of options in this little candy store.
It's a true one-stop shop, as everything is handmade by the Sharps and their staff.
“We make everything from scratch. Nothing is pre-packaged. We literally create everything in small batches. We do everything in this one location and one location only," Rob Sharp said.
Nothing leaves the store, from the kitchen to boxes to shelves, until it's in the customer's hands.
That's how the business has run for 50 years in Lexington.
“My grandfather started in the candy business in 1952. We relocated to Lexington, Kentucky, in 1973," Rob Sharp said.
“It’s really gone fast. It went fast.”
The saying goes that time flies when you're having fun.
It goes beyond the business for the Sharps; they feel a genuine connection with their customers, and the feeling is mutual.
“People will call all the time around Christmas and give the whole history. I’ve been with you all since this many years and I’ve been sending it all over the country," Lisa Sharp said.
"They feel like family. They’ve been with us so long.”
It's a family affair that spans beyond bloodlines.
Rob Sharp is proud to have served Central Kentuckians for half a century and looks forward to continuing for years to come.
“All of the employees are from Lexington. We’re Lexington through and through. I just can’t speak enough about how great a place Lexington is, especially to live and to own a business," Rob Sharp said.
Sharp's is located at 2021 Regency Road in Lexington and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you want to learn more about Sharp's, click here.
