Fran's Convenience

For 70 years, Toots Confectionery (and now Fran's Convenience) has been satisfying the sweet tooths of everyone in Yarmouth – tourists and locals alike. Fran Crowell, the owner for 35 of those 70 years, goes out of her way to ensure they carry the largest selection available. She’s proud to say that Fran's carries nearly every chocolate bar on the market, as well as a good selection of British candies.

What is your signature product?

Definitely candy, it’s what we’re known for! We also have a lot of magazines. Throughout the course of a year, we’ll have 3,000 different magazines through the store (though not all at the same time, as they cycle).

How did you get started?

My husband Byron owns a vending company, and he thought that this would relate to the vending perfectly. And it does – they suit each other. So that’s why he bought Toots.

What should people look at before they leave?

Well, all of our candy! We have tons of it! But something a lot of people don’t know is that we also sell groceries now, which is something we never used to have. So they should check out our groceries too, because they’re cheaper than some you’ll find at the big grocery stores.

What inspires you to do what you do?

It’s definitely the customers. Kids especially light up when they get in a candy store, their eyes will go wide with excitement. Even our tourists get really excited because they can get some of the Canadian and British brands of candy which they can’t get back home. So the best part is definitely the customers and seeing them get excited about our store.