HUMBOLDT Beth Barlow envisions her Bijou Confectionary as the crown jewel of downtown Humboldt.
Bijou is French for jewel, explained Barlow, and is a name she chose partly as a tribute to the buildings history.
The new candy store on the north side of the square is the site of the former Lee Jewelry building. After almost a year of renovating, the store opened Monday.
I felt like this could be a jewel on the square, she said. So often we settle and were just like, Oh, its a candy store in Humboldt, like somehow that means it should not look nice.
Bijou not only looks nice, its downright fancy. Decorated in a French provincial style, the store has marble tile floors, embossed wallpaper and delicate furniture.
Elegant glass canisters display the true jewels of the shop: the candy.
Ive always been a candy fan. As a kid, I was fascinated by all the colors and how beautiful it looks, Barlow said.
She chose a French theme because it fits her personal style, and also because she plans to offer a variety of similarly themed baked goods. Crepes. French macaroons. Meringues. Petit fours. Some items are available now; some will be added later as Barlow and her bakers, Myrissa Bingham and Lisa Daniels, adapt to the needs of the community.
ITS A GAMBLE,
Barlow admits, opening a gourmet candy store in a town with a population of around 1,800.
Really, almost any business you put in a small town these days is a gamble but were crazy like that, she said. Were going to grow and mold ourselves the best we can based on what we learn over the next few months and years.
Barlow is one of four children of Joe and Janie Works, a family thats committed itself to rebuilding Humboldt into a thriving community. Barlow said her father, a founder of B&W Trailer Hitches, has encouraged and supported his children and others in the community to tackle a variety of new business ventures, including a mercantile, which opened earlier this summer, a fitness center, slated to open soon, and a brewery and family restaurant, also still under development.
The success of one of those projects, Frost Bite Shave Ice, gave Barlow the confidence that her candy store could also entice visitors from throughout the region.
Frost Bite has shown that even if you have something very simple, people will get out of their houses and interact with the community, she said.
With Bijou Confectionary, Barlow said she wanted to create a business unique enough that visitors would come from places like Fort Scott or Parsons or even farther.
