Sweet Reads Books and Candy

Sweet Reads Books and Candy is an ice cream shop in Austin, MN, located at 407 Main St N. It holds a rating of 4.90 based on customer reviews. Sweet Reads Books, LLC opened its doors in June of 2016, the result of a venture that began in November of 2015 when John Deyo suggested the idea to his wife Lisa. Friends Susan DeVries and Diane Sherman helped make the store happen. The shop occupies an eclectic 100 foot long space featuring John's 30 foot long locomotive, shelves of nostalgic candies, and unique genre settings with trees and workbenches. In July of 2016, the World's Largest Collection of Berenstain Bears arrived at the store, and an upright piano from Lisa's cousins, the Lyles, was added in August of 2016, along with a working Lionel train inside the big train. It will special order titles and accepts like-new used books for credit. The candy selection includes nostalgic items such as Necco wafers, licorice pipes, and candy buttons, along with Minnesota Made Pearson candies. Local artisans contribute soaps, sweater mittens, hand-crafted jewelry by MariJo Stanek, jams by local Carmelite Monks, Minnesota sweatshirts and T-shirts, puzzles by PuzzleTwist of Minnesota, Inukshuk rock figures and fishing lure jewelry by Ginny Riege, bookstore candles by Frostbeard Studios, crocheted plushes and bookmarks by Freillie, folded book art, local music CDs, bookmarks, and greeting cards. Local author visits are a highlight, ranging from award winners to first-time published writers, with meet and greet events throughout the fall and winter months that often feature coloring time, musical performances, or recipe demonstrations. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 11 to 4, and until 6 on Thursdays. The shop sits on Main Street North in downtown Austin, steps from the SPAM Museum and about 0.1 miles from the Rydjor Bike Museum, the Historic Paramount Theater, and the Mower County Courthouse. The Mower Law Enforcement Center is about 0.1 miles away, and the Austin Fire Department is about 0.2 miles away. Sweet Reads Books and Candy has earned a 4.90 rating from the customers who have reviewed it, reflecting the reputation it has built in Austin since opening in 2016.