Felicia Evans Long, left, cuts the ribbon to her new confectionery store, Sweet Candy Cafe on Nov. 30 alongside husband Tim Long. Lumberton Mayor Ray Pennington, right, officially welcomed the business, which is located at 212 North Chestnut St. in downtown Lumberton. Sweet Candy Cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Photo courtesy of Tina Davis Floyd

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Anne-Claire Siegert

Staff writer

LUMBERTON — Felicia Evans Long, a Lumberton native, and husband Tim Long just made the city a little sweeter.

The two are owners of the new confectionery store, Sweet Candy Cafe, located at 212 N. Chestnut St. in downtown Lumberton, where an official ribbon-cutting on Nov. 30 preceded the store’s grand opening on Dec. 1.

“Customers from ages 1 to 92 filled our store with fun and excitement,” Evans Long said of the store’s grand opening. “We’re super thrilled to be here.”

Evans Long created Sweet Candy Cafe as a fun, distinctive candy store with old-fashioned candies from the past and present. Sweet Candy Cafe is the sister company to Sweet Events and Planning, an event-planning company founded by Evans Long and her husband in 2008. She brings more than 12 years of event-planning expertise and knowledge of the latest trends.

One such trend is the Signature Candy Parlor, which Evans Long calls a “conversation piece” where guests fill bags with various treats from old-fashioned apothecary jars.

Evans Long created the parlor for her own wedding and it became a customer favorite offered by Sweet Events and Planning at birthday parties, weddings and other celebratory events. The parlor will also be available at Sweet Candy Cafe.

The confectionery store is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.