There aren’t too many places where you can still purchase blasts from the past like Turkish Taffy, Necco Wafers, Chuckles, Sugar Daddies, and Charleston Chews.
In fact, if you are younger than 40, chances are good that you’ve probably never even heard of these treats, let alone remember road trips without convenience stores.
Fortunately, the Stuckey's on Interstate 10 at exit 26 still beckons travelers to its doors to taste and remember a by-gone era.
“Stuckey's was an iconic part of the travel landscape in America from the 1940s to the late 1970s,” said Cindy Coatney, manager at the local Stuckey's. “It started as a roadside pecan stand by a Georgia couple. Then they grew their roadside business into a franchise that covered 30 states and soon became an integral part of American road trips.
"It was a convenience store before there were convenience stores!” she added.
The Stuckey's rise to prominence included souvenirs, old-fashioned candies and soda pops, their iconic pecan log and other pecan treats, and the cleanest restrooms on the highways.
“Stuckey's has always offered a variety of different things not found in other roadside stores,” Coatney said. “They’ve always offered old fashioned candies, things that folks remember from their childhoods like Sugar Daddies and wax bottle syrup treats.
"And of course our store being in the Florida Panhandle, we catered to tourists heading for the beaches who might want to pick up a Florida State T-shirt or a ‘Roll Tide’ license plate, or even a pair of sandals. And don’t forget the signs,” she added with a laugh. “We have signs for every sport fan!”
Bob and Pat of Milton stop in for a Dairy Queen fix on a regular basis.
“Whenever we have company, we bring them here to browse. It’s like no place else,” Pat said.
Store owner Bruce Grimes of Pace purchased the site and restored the closed Stuckey's. He has been the only owner of this store since he re-opened it some 20 years ago.
While today the company has way fewer stores than its peak of 368 in the ‘60s, the remaining stores continue to draw tourists, weary travelers, and those hunting for a bit of nostalgia. And right here in our own backyard, a legend beckons.
And hot tip: if you need last minute stocking stuffers, you’ll find plenty at Stuckey’s.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 'A convenience store before there were convenience stores'