It Happens Here: Tiny candy shack in Cohasset woods operates on honor system
COHASSET - In Cohasset, the locals will recognize the little spot up a long dirt road off of Beechwood Street.
It's Mrs. Mekler's Mercantile and Sugar Shack.
A few years ago, Jenn Mekler, who had spent a long career in the restaurant industry, got a wild idea to build this little shack in the woods and stack it with locally sourced treats.
"My dad was like, 'Heck yes, let's go, we can do this, it'll be a blast. Let's build it, it will be fun,''" she told WBZ-TV. "And my husband and my brother were like, 'No.' So they made us a bet that we wouldn't, and so we did."
Mekler and her 83-year-old father won that bet, completing the shack over a summer three years ago.
"My vision was Hansel and Gretel, so that's kind of what we created," she said.
But she had one more wild idea -- keep it open 24 hours, 7 days a week and let people pay on the honor system.
"People come in, they are responsible for tallying their own stuff, we leave them bags and they leave us money or they Venmo us," she explained. "You know, I just wanted something that brought us back to the old days, to the way it used to be and to trust people."
That trust has paid off. Three years later, the Sugar Shack has become a sensation on the South Shore and far beyond.
"People absolutely love it. I'm amazed," Mekler said. "I had two women here the other day from Germany who were like, 'What, are you kidding?' They loved it."
She re-stocks multiple times a day because of all the demand. Even the wildlife has taken an interest.
"We have one pesky squirrel who thinks he's going to get in, and I have photographs of him like hanging out at the window," Mekler said. "We had the bear who was here at the fence one day. I figured he'd come back, but he didn't."
It is definitely off the beaten path, with playful signs in the woods to guide you along the way. The trip is well worth it. when you arrive. The shack is filled with chocolates, "booze bottles" with different infusions for a cocktail, and some treats for the health-conscious, as well.
Mekler plans to open a retail shop soon in Pembroke. For more information, visit her website.