HALLOWELL — A business that has been a sweet cornerstone in Hallowell for about a decade is for sale.

In a message posted Friday on Facebook, Hilary Vellani, co-owner of Scrummy Afters, announced the mobile unit and other assets associated with the retail shop are for sale.

“Our family built this business nearly 10 years ago,” the message reads. “It has brought much joy and fulfillment to our community, but we are embarking on a new chapter. We poured our hearts in all that is ‘Scrummy’s’ so we would like to ensure that it’s passed to capable and loving hands.”

Co-owner Kim Davis said Monday she was surprised by the level of interest the Facebook post had generated. Over the weekend, they heard from at least 15 people, one from Florida, who said they were interested in more information about the business.

The interest has come from people with other candy stores, industry representatives and people considering business opportunities, many of whom are in central Maine.

“We’re really in the baby stages of this,” Davis said. “I never thought we’d have so many inquiries in such a short period of time.”

Scrummy Afters debuted in November 2012, filling the shop 136 Water St. with confections, sweets and whimsical, vibrant colors to draw in customers, and fans and fixtures designed by Vellani and built by a local contractor.

The business takes its name from the British — “scrummy” being short for scrumptious and “afters” referring to dessert.

Over the life of the retail shop, Vellani organized a “Harry Potter”-themed scavenger hunt and costume ball for several years, and Christmas events that drew hundreds to Hallowell each year.

In 2018, the shop branched out with its mobile candy shop that traveled to events and fairs across Maine.

In April 2020, a month after the COVID-19 pandemic had been declared, the business closed its Water Street retail shop, opting to focus on online and mobile sales.

At that time, Vellani said the decision was a smart move, based on the business conditions at the time, which included luring customers through the door even before the spread of COVID-19 prompted business shutdowns.

Davis said Monday the business partners could not continue to pay rent on the space during a period of uncertainty when they were not sure when or if stores would be able to open, but they had the mobile unit and could continue as part of the community.

Now, nearly two years after that decision, Davis said she is ready to retire, and Vellani, who recently had a baby, has taken a job as a graphic designer with a company in Augusta.

“We’re sad because it’s been such an integral part of the community,” Davis said, “but we have to put our business hats on and realize there comes a time when you pass the torch.”

Davis said no timeline for the sale has been established. She is responding to those who have expressed interest and is in the process of valuing the business.

If the new season starts without a new owner, the business partners said they will open the mobile unit and continue until a new owner has been found. Davis said the Hallowell Antique Mall at 191 Water St. is a great location for it.

“We want the Scrummy name to continue to be successful,” Davis said, “so we want to make sure whoever is interested and wants to take it into the future will be successful.”

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