Marini's Candies. Santa Cruz, CA

Marini's Candies is the beloved locally owned candy purveyor in Santa Cruz, CA.  With locations In downtown and on the wharf their centennial celebration marked the opening of a boutique store on the front of their warehouse in the West side neighborhood.  Stripe designed a perfectly appointed space which nods to the nostalgia of Candy Store in its essence.  Jars of colorful candies line the walls and buckets of ice cream and hand made chocolates reside behind a bow-fronted glass and mahogany case, capped with Carrera marble counters..  Bevel edged subway tiles line the walls and the floor is a traditional black and white hex, creating a neutral stage on which the candy can become the star.    

On the entrance wall a motorized, seven foot, hand made replica of the Boardwalk Ferris wheel turns slowly passing gobstoppers from carriage to carriage.   Commissioned by Stripe and made by Martjn Stiphout of Ventana Surf Boards, the ferris wheel is extrapolated with precision against the backdrop image of the actual boardwalk ride, photographed by Tim Cattera.  On the far wall, the Marini's branding and impressive longevity is showcased with a laser cut brass sign.

Photo Credit: Tommy Parker

Design Process: 

Marini's is a brand with a rich Santa Cruz history that we wanted to integrate into the design. This mood board is the starting off point for the design, which integrates in the best parts of a vintage candy shop with modern sensibility. 

From these inspiration images, the design evolved in the 3D model with those same elements expressed in the working ferris wheel replica and shelves of candy jars.