Former Ormond Beach resident opens candy shop in the big apple

Ormond Beach Observer
Neighbors

Lee Manne opened Stieber’s Sweet Shoppe Aug. 14 on Bleecker Street in New York City.

Some girls’ walk-in closets are full of clothes, but Lee Manne’s is full of candy.

Former Ormond Beach resident and owner of the New York City location of Stieber’s Sweet Shoppe, Manne has always had a sweet tooth.

“She’s always loved candy,” Her mother, Barbara Manne, said. “Halloween was always the favorite holiday for her. It’s funny because her father is a dentist and her sister is a dentist and she has a candy store.”

Lee Manne still technically followed her family’s footsteps. The original owners of Stieber’s are her aunt, uncle and cousins in California.

“I wouldn’t say this has always been a dream,” Lee Manne said. “I had been living in New York City for seven years and I knew I didn’t want to do my job forever. I worked in production mainly for TV commercials and it is very tiring. My aunt, uncle and cousin in California opened up Stieber’s three years ago. I heard the excitement in their voice when they opened their store.”

After a year of searching for the perfect retail space, Manne started the 10-month process of opening Stieber’s second location on Bleecker Street.

“It was the craziest 10 months of my life,” Lee Manne said. “We ran into every single road block you could ever imagine. The plan examiner decided to do some digging on our space and told us that technically the store had never got a certificate of authenticity. The last time it was recorded was in 1916 and it was technically still supposed to be a funeral home. It was just crazy. But we finally got opened and it’s a really wonderful store.”

The store opened on Aug. 14 and Lee Manne said she’s received great feedback. Stieber’s has over 400 types of bulk candy but she definitely has a favorite.

“I really love these gummy bears we sell in the store,” Lee Manne said. “They’re made by a company called Albanese and all of the ingredients are sourced in the United States or Europe. So there’s like the rainbow of flavors and they are really soft. I really push the Albanese Gummy Bears because they are amazing.”

Though she’s really enjoying her new life in the big city, Lee Manne hasn’t lost her appreciation for home.

“New York is so fun and so exciting, but Ormond was a wonderful place to grow up.” Lee Manne said. “Like who wouldn’t want to go to high school across the street from the beach? I tell that to everyone.”

“It’s very exciting for the store to be opened finally,” Barbara Manne said. “We are very proud of her. Everybody in Ormond is rooting for her.”