Randy and Lori Collick have the demeanors of two kids in a candy store. Which is perfect, because they now own a candy store.

The Hamburg residents recently bought and reopened Kemnitz Fine Candies in downtown Plymouth, bringing back a longtime name in the community after the business closed earlier this year. Reopening the shop has gotten the community excited, they said.

"Eighty percent of the people (that come in), the first thing they say is, 'Thank you,'" Randy Collick said. 

The shop at 896 W. Ann Arbor Trail reopened earlier this summer after previous owners Cindy and Everett Smith decided it was time to retire after running the longtime shop for decades. 

How the couple came to own the shop stemmed all from a dream: Lori Collick said she dreamed she and her husband bought a candy company.

"The next day, we saw this for sale," Lori Collick said. 

After thinking it through, the Collicks crafted a plan to purchase the shop and eventually became the frontrunners to take over the shop. They put in several months of work to update the shop. They've redone plenty inside, including new paint, new floors and spruced up the look. They've kept the candy display case and cabinets, and still use the Kemnitz signature look on the candy boxes, albeit with a refreshed feel.

"I want people to know we're not changing it," Lori Collick said. "It might look a little different, but it should taste the same. We've just brought it into the 21st century."

Carolina Reaper pepper chocolate, anyone?

While the classics return, they hope to introduce a few new twists to the menu. One such idea? The Chocolate Pepper Challenge, a case of chocolates filled with hot pepper fillings made from jalapenos, habaneros and and ghost peppers. Increasing in degrees of heat, they think the box will make for a fun challenge for those with strong affections toward spicy foods. 

"Hopefully it's just one of those things that just catches," Randy Collick said. "It's just fun. We want to have fun."

They've also added other items to the display case, including caramels topped with pink Himalayan salt, as well as their South American clusters, made with Brazil nuts and coconut. Online ordering is also expected to make an appearance later this year when the weather begins to cool down. 

The Collicks continue to use the Kemnitz production kitchen in Plymouth's Old Village but plan on relocating that to a bigger space in town. There, Lori Collick said, they hope to increase production and possibly offer candy-making classes to groups as well.

The shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. More information can be found on the shop's website, kemnitzfinecandies.com.

The Collicks hope the community can see the passion they have for the history of the shop, keeping many of the same traditions alive, including the longtime name. They both are excited at bringing the Kemnitz name back to life.

"It's a labor of love," Lori Collick said. "We're trying to stay as true to the recipes."