Key Points:
• A recent break-in led to Nuttopia closing just one day after opening.
• Owner Shantell Reid has been a Tucker resident since 2018.
• Nuttopia sells a variety of candies, including matcha almonds and crème brulee cashews.
A break-in almost soured the opening of a new Tucker candy store, but community members have sweetened the pot by bringing the business back to life.
Nuttopia, a store offering a variety of gourmet nut desserts, opened its doors on Hugh Howell on Sept. 26. By the next day, thieves broke into the store, destroying the store’s door and clearing out all of Nuttopia’s cash, Shantell Reid, Nuttopia owner, told Rough Draft.
Reid was bringing her son to the store to show him around when she discovered the shattered glass and destruction.
“That day was so devastating,” she said. “I just went home, and needed a mental break after that happened. It broke me a little. So, when I posted it on social media, I just wanted people to know that this was something that happened in the neighborhood.”
Doug Marranci, co-founder of PREP Kitchens, saw Reid’s post and was reminded of his own new business nightmare. When opening his Tucker business robbers cleared out electronics ranging from laptops to printers. He recalled feeling “violated” after the incident, but he pressed on for the entrepreneurs his business supports.
Though Marranci doesn’t consider himself a fan of nuts, he decided to stop by the store to support, eventually buying one of everything in the store.
“I stopped in for a couple of things and felt the heartbreak of the event; however, more strongly I felt the love that inspired them in the first place,” Marranci said. “Nuttopia is an understatement of the place. The handmade chocolates are amazing works of art in their own right.”
Reid took inspiration from her sister to create the unique mixture of treats found at Nuttopia. Her sister, who owns a restaurant on the West Coast, asked her to start selling some of her nut concoctions that had just been created to inspire her children to eat nuts.
“My children hated nuts, so I had to find a way to get them to like them,” Reid said. “Everybody’s going to a nut-free zone, so I see where more people are taking it out of their diet. But if you don’t have allergies, it’s putting them into a small box and not exploring.”
Reid’s sister got such a strong response about the treats from her customers that the idea spawned to open a candy store of her own in Tucker, which she’s called home since 2018. The store offers treats like matcha almonds, Dubai chocolate butter, crème brulee cashews and more.
Though Nuttopia hasn’t recovered entirely from the break-in, Reid said she should be back in the black soon after covering the cost of the $800 door the burglars destroyed.
DeKalb County Police Department advised Reid to move away from keeping or accepting cash at the store, she said. In August, Tucker Mayor Frank Auman announced initiatives to offer matching grants for security systems and a $10,000 reward for information on such crimes.
Related stories:
• Tucker mayor issues warning after latest business break-ins
• Tucker businesses burglarized again on July 8
“We will find you and we will apprehend you, and we will make your lives miserable,” Auman said during a press conference.
Speaking out about the crime was not easy after recent reports of similar crimes through the city’s center, said Matthew Lee, executive director of Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District.
“Broken windows and burglaries aren’t what we want for our businesses or their customers, Lee told Rough Draft. “Gating parking lots, bars on windows, roll-down doors over storefronts, and locking up merchandise are not the answer. I don’t want Tucker to get to that point.”
Reid agreed. She has been warned that sometimes burglars return to the scene of such crimes, but she plans to take proper precautions to thwart any future attempts.
“This is something that’s been going on in Tucker for some time,” she said. They are trying to address the issues of local businesses being hit. They’re most of the time on Main Street. I have gotten the support of the police department.”
Nuttopia is back to its regular hours, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.