While living in Ohio, former teachers Justin and Holly Fyffe spent their summers off traveling around the world with their four children. “We’re kids at heart, and we love toy shops and sweet shops,” says Justin. Wherever they ventured, the Fyffes visited a local candy shop to sample sweets from across the globe. On Christmas morning of 2018, as their children were enjoying candy from a recent trip to Germany, Holly proposed the idea of opening up a store featuring candies from the countries that they had visited.

In 2020 they opened Suitcase Sweets in Jackson, Ohio. Searching for a change of lifestyle and better schools for their children, the family relocated to Lakewood Ranch, taking the business with them. In February 2022, the Fyffes reopened Suitcase Sweets in Lakewood Ranch, and this week marks the shop’s first anniversary.

Candy and travel lovers alike delight in the charming shop, which beckons to shoppers with enchanting window displays. Retro travel posters line the walls, and the candies nestle together based on the continent or country where they were produced. “Chocolates from abroad don’t contain paraffin wax, a substance added to American chocolates to prevent melting,” adds Justin, “so we have to ship everything that we import on ice.” According to Justin, chocolate without paraffin wax tastes better. International confectioners also use less sugar than their American counterparts and dye their candies with natural colorings derived from plants as many countries have banned the artificial coloring common in American treats. Due to their premium ingredients and superior taste, international candies fly off the shelves. Justin recommends the British candies, like the Crunchie bar, and the popular Icelandic chocolate.

Gifts and toys, like the top-selling alpaca from Peru and Pan-Am World Airlines stationery, complement the international candies. Globes, a hot air balloon mobile, a British telephone booth and vintage suitcases add a whimsical and playful touch to the store, which also carries nostalgic candies. “People love the Mallo Cup, Necco Wafers and candy cigarettes,” says Justin, “and they’re among our biggest sellers for everyone from little kids to older adults.”

Another favorite is the $7.49 candy fill-up box, which customers can fill to the brim with saltwater taffy and other loose candies like Pixie Sticks and lollipops from the candy buffet wall. “The boxes aren’t sold by weight, so as long as the lid fits customers can fill the box to the top,” Justin says. Many shoppers purchase candies to send to loved ones out of state, and Suitcase Sweets ships premade or custom box orders.

“Holly says that you shouldn’t have to travel the world to taste it,” adds Justin. Every month, the shop features a different theme and hosts fun events for customers seeking to satisfy their sense of wanderlust. In the works are a children’s candy tasting and a space-themed month, featuring astronaut ice cream and other NASA-inspired delights. “It’s rare to find a store that carries sweets from so many places,” Justin adds, “and that makes us special.”

Suitcase Sweets, 8111 Lakewood Main St. Ste. J102, Lakewood Ranch, suitcasesweets.com. 

Pictured: A box of international candies from Suitcase Sweets. Photo courtesy of Laura Paquette.

This season marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic Café L’Europe opening its doors to serve Sarasota diners. To commemorate this milestone, the restaurant is launching a year-long celebration with a variety of special events, including a Legacy Chef Wine Dinner series, where acclaimed local chefs who got their start at Café return for a night of storytelling over fabulous wine and exquisite cuisine. A “Born in 1973” campaign beginning February 15, 2023, invites all guests celebrating their 50th birthday this year for a complimentary glass of Champagne*. In the restaurant, as the second of three planned renovation phases continues, construction partitions will be wrapped with a special memorabilia gallery. This collection of Sarasota history is comprised of snapshots and news clippings that have been lovingly compiled from guest contributions. Online, guests and fans of the restaurant will delight to see these memorabilia shared on the restaurant’s social media pages. A new commemorative logo has also been unveiled on the website and dinner menus.

On January 21, 1973, founders and acclaimed restaurateurs Titus Letschert and Norbert Goldner welcomed 77 guests to dine for the first time. Café L’Europe’s name and concept were inspired by the classic ambiance of the popular De L’Europe Hotel in Amsterdam. The founders were also influenced by the Sign of the Dove’s interior design, the beloved Manhattan restaurant where they met that was known for lush architectural elements like red brick arches and mirrored glass. Before the building became Café L’Europe, it was the Cocoanut Palms restaurant in the 1950s before becoming Colombi’s Italian Restaurant, which lasted into the 1960s. The building was originally built circa 1926 to be the real estate office of one of Sarasota’s most famous former residents – John Ringling. Over the following 50 years, the kitchen of Café L’Europe would become a breeding ground for Sarasota’s successful chefs and restaurateurs, with menus and dishes that have stood the test of time.

Plans for the 50th anniversary include a Café staff reunion event where former team members from over the years are invited to a private reception hosted by Oysters Rock Hospitality and former General Manager Michael Garey, with more details to come. Oysters Rock Hospitality, led by award-winning restaurateurs and philanthropists Amanda and John Horne, purchased Café L’Europe on February 1, 2022. In the summer of 2022, the duo announced plans to completely renovate the interior of the historic building. Phase I, a total overhaul of the private and semi-private dining spaces, has now been completed and is receiving initial acclaim for its unique design that blends contemporary fixtures with the Café’s signature interior. Reservations are available now for the first of four Legacy Chef Wine Dinners. For two nights on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1, Chef Ray Arpke, retired former owner of Euphemia Haye, will return to the restaurant where he once worked. The destination is Italy for five courses of masterful Italian cuisine with paired with exquisite Italian wines. Bookings are exclusively offered via OpenTable for $250 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity; visit CafeLEurope.net/LegacyChef to reserve. 

Pictured: Caesar Hummus Board. Courtesy of Cafe LEurope.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) proudly announces the extension of its Regional Premiere production of Network, a fast-paced play based on the Academy Award-winning screenplay by Paddy Chayefsky. Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, Network follows the downward spiral of Howard Beale, a longtime news anchor who is being let go due to poor ratings. Critics call the production “Gripping” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune) and “Chilling” (Sarasota Magazine). Due to audience demand, Network is being held over and will now run through March 26, 2023, in FST’s Gompertz Theatre. Single tickets range from $25-39 and are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000. 

Pictured (Left to Right): Roy Stanton, Joe Storti, Jason Pintar, Sheffield Chastain, and Rebecka Jones. Photo by John Jones.

The Perlman Music Program nurtures the talent of gifted young musicians by providing an opportunity for them to train in Sarasota with Itzhak Perlman at the PMP Winter Residency. After the residency, PMP students move on to higher education and careers. The Perlman Music Program Suncoast (PMP Suncoast) then invites these alumni back to the Sarasota-Manatee region for performances and outreach initiatives throughout the year. Each performance offers a unique opportunity for area audiences to learn about and interact with the musicians through Q&A sessions and post-concert receptions.  

A resilient, young rough-toothed dolphin, is being rehabilitated at Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Fred Howard Park location after the animal was found stranded on Longboat Key last week. On Friday, Feb. 10 at 6:00 p.m. Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) received a report from NOAA that MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium was responding to a young, female rough-toothed dolphin stranded off Longboat Key. MOTE assessed the animal’s health and transported the animal to CMA for rehabilitation at its Fred Howard Park location. The veterinary staff at CMA continues to assess what may have caused the stranding. There were reports of beachgoers attempting to push the dolphin back to the water before trained professionals arrived on the scene. The juvenile rough-toothed dolphin is a female weighing 156 lbs. upon intake and 198 cm. According to NOAA Fisheries, this species can get up to 8.5 feet long, 350 lbs. and have a lifespan of 36 years. Rough-toothed dolphins are usually found in tight-knit groups of 10 to 20 individuals but have been reported in groups of up to 100 individuals. They often associate with other cetacean species, including short-finned pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins, and spinner dolphins. If the public sees a marine mammal in distress, it’s important to remember not to intervene, and call trained responders at (877) WHALE-HELP. The public should remain at a safe distance, and if conditions allow, take photos to share with biologists once they arrive on scene. This is the first dolphin to be rehabilitated at CMA’s Fred Howard Park rehab facility since 2020, when Rudolph, another rough-toothed dolphin, was transported and rehabilitated there. 

Adam Kwiat has joined RE/MAX Platinum Realty as a Realtor in the downtown Sarasota office. He has eight years of local real estate experience, serving Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. With a strong knowledge of the area, he helps buyers, particularly first-time buyers, navigate the real estate transaction process as easily and quickly as possible. A native of Whitesboro, New York, Kwiat earned a bachelor’s degree in International Politics with a minor in Mandarin Chinese from the University of Buffalo. Prior to his real estate career, he was an intelligence analyst with a small defense contractor in Buffalo. He enjoys traveling, playing pick-up soccer and reading, and volunteers every year to help collect and distribute Toys for Tots at Christmas time. The RE/MAX Platinum Realty downtown Sarasota office is located at 1500 State Street, Sarasota, Florida 34236. Kwiat can be reached at (941) 228-5484 or adam@ringthewingers.com. 

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