Keep it in Cranston: Betty's Candies

One day after the funeral of Betty DeTroia — founder and owner of Betty's Candies and Collectibles in Rolfe Square — her son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Joanna, came into the shop and started filling customer orders.

"The store never closed, not for one day" Kevin DeTroia said. "The store is normally closed on a Monday and her funeral fell on a Monday."

The husband and wife team have been there ever since.

Many regular customers who frequented the shop over the past 26 years are still unaware that the store's namesake passed away in March. Others, upon hearing the news, assumed the store would close for good.

But thanks to the dedication of her son, her legacy — and tasty confections — will continue to make sweet smiles in the city for years to come.

"After she died, I said to my wife, 'why don't we just do it?'"

It was a trial by fire. DeTroia had some experience making candy since the store opened when he was in seventh grade, but the day-to-day operations weren't immediately obvious. But Betty had a smooth-running operation and it didn't take long for Kevin and Joanna to get into the groove.

"We just jumped right in and went full bore."

Kevin had just sold a construction business, so he had the time and energy to devote to the shop. And he also knew that preserving the business would benefit the local community.

"She had been here 26 years and ran one hell of a store," DeTroia said. "It seemd like the right thing to do."

Betty DeTroia was about to turn 68 when she passed. Kevin said he was talking with her about expanding to a location on Federal Hill were he has been operating a tanning salon. He still hopes to go forward with the plan.

"It would have a lot of walk-in traffic on the hill. There's nothing like this up there," DeTroia said.

Until then, DeTroia needs to get the word out that Betty's Candies in Rolfe Square isn't going anywhere. Apparently many customers assumed the shop is closed and a good amount of business dried up.

"If this was called the Rolfe Square Candy Shop, nobody would know unless they knew her personally," DeTroia said.

The shop is the ideal place to buy a gift basket, a box of truffles or chocolates. Everything is handmade and Betty's original recipes remain intact.

The store will also put together a gift basket of your choosing. Bring in pasta, sauce and a bottle of Chianti and they'll assemble a basket celebrating Italian food.

And if you're looking to accessorize your holiday decor with a gingerbread house, but don't feel up to the challenge of constructing one, look no further — the store has plenty of edible abodes to choose from.

For more information, visit www.bettyscandy.com