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Bob Wright, who owns the new downtown Nevada City shop Treats with his wife Peggy, stands outside their store Sunday. Treats opened last month and hopes to stay vital be deriving 70 percent of its income from locals.
Nevada City's latest store in downtown is all about high-end sweets, adding to the flavor of the tourist-rich town.
But while Treats may be seen as another delectable shop in the midst of the Gold Rush town experience, owners Bob and Peggy Wright are banking on the support of locals to keep it viable.
“A small place in a small community ultimately is the test of whether or not a small community can support high quality, localized, locally sourced products where possible,” Bob Wright said. “In other words, can a small community do what a large community can do, and support a good ice cream shop?”
Patrons can enjoy select ice creams, homemade sorbet and baked goods at Treats, which is on York Street, off of the beaten path of Broadway and Commercial streets — an ideal location for the Wrights' business plan. Their aim is to get away from the tourist dollars and focus on residents. Bob Wright said he hopes for 70 percent of his income to come from locals, an often different take than the neighboring businesses.
Treats' small-ish store space shares its kitchen with Citronee's and has been open for about a month.
For the Wrights, this business venture is about their passion for the products and recouping funds from what once was a peaceful retirement, Bob Wright said. He's a former executive in the alternative energy industry. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees in Nevada City, including the Board of Directors for the Miners Foundry, the Nevada City Planning Commission, the George Calanan Park Committee and the Parks and Recreation Committee. While for Peggy Wright, this is her secondary career. She's an artist by trade. Some of her work can be seen adorning the walls at Treats, along with other local artists.
Bob Wright is a self-described ice cream and sorbet lover and has made the effort to produce the homemade sorbet for his customers, while Peggy Wright bakes the goods, capturing the team-like nature of the business and its products.
“It's one of these conditions where you live with somebody for 40 years, but I've never really worked with Peggy before and it's been a sort of nice experience,” said Bob Wright.
“Our passion trumps our sensibility,” he said.
“We bought an 1879 kind of cottage Victorian,” Bob Wright explained. “And then our minds went crazy and we put a bunch of money into the place, as everybody does who tries to fix anything that was old here. And now, you can't tap the equity that's in the house. And our stock portfolio is where everybody else's stock portfolio is, hoping for 8 percent historical returns. So our net worth was halved.”
To make up for the loss, the Wrights sought to purchase an ice cream store — recession proof, as Bob Wright puts it — to bring in some new income.
“Even if I had more of my income still, I don't think I have the confidence that investments are a secure place to look,” he said. “And I knew I was always happiest when I had current income taking care of current expenses.”
It helps that the overhead cost is low. The Wrights pay $500 a month in rent, which was good for the two to get the business up and going quickly, Bob Wright said.
And for the time being, they're getting their ice cream from Gunthers Quality Ice Cream in Sacramento. It allows for the shop to have a consistent taste as it hits the ground running, Bob Wright said.
“My full intention was to make all of my ice cream here,” he said.
As the winter season comes, the Wrights will look to add a spot in the shop for baking the cookies, utilizing the wafty smell of chocolate chips to draw in customers. It's still an evolving endeavor, Bob Wright said.
“Our pitch is, classic, well done, with exciting options,” he said.
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To contact Staff Writer and Online Community Manager Zuri Berry, e-mail zberry@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4244.
But while Treats may be seen as another delectable shop in the midst of the Gold Rush town experience, owners Bob and Peggy Wright are banking on the support of locals to keep it viable.
“A small place in a small community ultimately is the test of whether or not a small community can support high quality, localized, locally sourced products where possible,” Bob Wright said. “In other words, can a small community do what a large community can do, and support a good ice cream shop?”
Patrons can enjoy select ice creams, homemade sorbet and baked goods at Treats, which is on York Street, off of the beaten path of Broadway and Commercial streets — an ideal location for the Wrights' business plan. Their aim is to get away from the tourist dollars and focus on residents. Bob Wright said he hopes for 70 percent of his income to come from locals, an often different take than the neighboring businesses.
Treats' small-ish store space shares its kitchen with Citronee's and has been open for about a month.
For the Wrights, this business venture is about their passion for the products and recouping funds from what once was a peaceful retirement, Bob Wright said. He's a former executive in the alternative energy industry. He currently serves on numerous boards and committees in Nevada City, including the Board of Directors for the Miners Foundry, the Nevada City Planning Commission, the George Calanan Park Committee and the Parks and Recreation Committee. While for Peggy Wright, this is her secondary career. She's an artist by trade. Some of her work can be seen adorning the walls at Treats, along with other local artists.
Bob Wright is a self-described ice cream and sorbet lover and has made the effort to produce the homemade sorbet for his customers, while Peggy Wright bakes the goods, capturing the team-like nature of the business and its products.
“It's one of these conditions where you live with somebody for 40 years, but I've never really worked with Peggy before and it's been a sort of nice experience,” said Bob Wright.
“Our passion trumps our sensibility,” he said.
“We bought an 1879 kind of cottage Victorian,” Bob Wright explained. “And then our minds went crazy and we put a bunch of money into the place, as everybody does who tries to fix anything that was old here. And now, you can't tap the equity that's in the house. And our stock portfolio is where everybody else's stock portfolio is, hoping for 8 percent historical returns. So our net worth was halved.”
To make up for the loss, the Wrights sought to purchase an ice cream store — recession proof, as Bob Wright puts it — to bring in some new income.
“Even if I had more of my income still, I don't think I have the confidence that investments are a secure place to look,” he said. “And I knew I was always happiest when I had current income taking care of current expenses.”
It helps that the overhead cost is low. The Wrights pay $500 a month in rent, which was good for the two to get the business up and going quickly, Bob Wright said.
And for the time being, they're getting their ice cream from Gunthers Quality Ice Cream in Sacramento. It allows for the shop to have a consistent taste as it hits the ground running, Bob Wright said.
“My full intention was to make all of my ice cream here,” he said.
As the winter season comes, the Wrights will look to add a spot in the shop for baking the cookies, utilizing the wafty smell of chocolate chips to draw in customers. It's still an evolving endeavor, Bob Wright said.
“Our pitch is, classic, well done, with exciting options,” he said.
---
To contact Staff Writer and Online Community Manager Zuri Berry, e-mail zberry@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4244.
