Raffy’s Candy Store putting smiles on people’s faces for 5 years

Opening a candy store was a lifelong dream for Dave Rafalski.

So much so that when he graduated college, he designed a mockup of a candy store that he’d one day open. That mockup design still hangs in his home office.

That lifelong dream is being lived out with his family by his side inside Raffy’s Candy Store, 2571 E. Lincoln Highway. Raffy’s is celebrating its five-year anniversary Oct. 30, and currently thinking of a safe way to celebrate.

“These last five years have been a blessing,” Dave said. “It just started as a hobby and then it came into fruition. The community has been outstanding, too. We’re just having fun doing it.”

Raffy’s is not their main source of income. They truly just love doing it.

“You get those smiles and the kids that come in get that experience of being in a candy store,” Dave said. “That’s what I remember growing up. Just the experience of my parents taking me to the candy shop.”

Even if someone has never been to Raffy’s Candy Store, they’ll immediately get the feeling that it’s a mom and pop shop. It’s nothing elaborate or anything over the top, but has plenty of candy, chocolate and ice cream choices at a low price.

And it’s going to stay that way. Dave wants people to be able to come back over and over, and not be a “once a month” type of candy store.

That has helped them build relationships with customers. He praised the work that his wife, Pam, does, as well as his children. His daughter, Julia, is there the most, and the “entrepreneur” he said.

“I couldn’t do it without them,” Dave said. “And we’re grateful for the support of our customers.”

They’ve all seen the support of the community over the years, but especially over the last few months during COVID. Dave and Pam said people came in just to drop off money to help out. And any other year, people come to Raffy’s to see the Easter Bunny.

This year, the Easter Bunny went to the customers.

“We said ‘we’ll take the first 50 people that call and bring a basket,’” Dave said. “We had 300 people call.”

A motto at Raffy’s has always been about giving back to the customers.

“If they come in here, they are coming here for a reason,” Dave said. “I always tell the employees to make sure they leave with a smile. If they leave mad or we didn’t change the perception of their day, we did something wrong.”

It’s tough to imagine anyone leaving there upset.

Over five years, countless people have bought candy or ice cream, talked to Pam “the bartender” at the counter, and “Raffy’s” has become a household name across New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena and Joliet.

But as popular as the mom and pop shop is, Dave, Pam, Julia and the rest of the Raffy’s team find themselves humbled on occasion.

“One (story) that sticks out in my mind was when a Make-a-Wish child was actually brought in and Raffy’s was part of their wish,” Dave said. “Super cool and humbled us even more.”

It has been little — or not so little for that matter — moments like that one that make the whole candy store dream worth it.

“I just can’t believe it’s been five years already,” Pam said.