A Mercer University professor and her family hope their new shop in downtown Macon will become the city’s go-to spot for sweets and celebrations.
Tennille Shuster, art chair and professor, and her husband, Jon, opened Shuster’s Candy & Creamery at 616 Poplar St. in July.
The business revives a family legacy and fulfills a longtime wish for the Shusters. Jon’s grandparents owned an ice cream and candy shop called Shuster’s Confectionery in Newark, New Jersey, in the 1950s and lived in the back of the store.
“It was this really sweet story that he grew up hearing,” Tennille said. “That’s always been part of the dream — wouldn’t it be so fun to revive that?”
In addition, Jon was looking for a change in the direction of his career, since the digital marketing field he had been working in had become unstable. When the storefront that once housed Philosophie Wine Bar became available earlier this year, the Shusters decided it was time to turn their dream into a reality. Jon’s job situation inspired the store’s tagline, “Be Your Own Sugar Daddy!”
“We were always lamenting the fact there’s not an ice cream and candy shop (in downtown Macon),” Tennille said. “It was something we identified as a need in the market. Combined with the precarity of Jon’s job situation and our long-held dreams of reviving his family business, it all came together, and it made a lot of sense to do it now. It was a pleasure for me to spend the summer working on it.”
Tennille said her family has been “enamored with the sweet downtown” of Macon since moving here seven years ago, and they’re thrilled to now be able to contribute to it. She and Jon have two teenage daughters, Ella and Saybel.
“It’s been met with such warm reception from the community. People seem really excited that it’s there. We have a ton of repeat customers,” she said. “It’s wonderful for us to feel like we’re adding to the downtown community with another family-friendly destination.”
As a graphic designer, Tennille said it was “fun and liberating” to be her own client and designer for the space.
“Everything from the floor plan and layout to the logo design, from the color scheme to the custom wallpaper, packaging and apparel design to selecting furniture and fixtures, I was able to do myself. It’s been a blast. It’s the perfect space for what we wanted, and it’s given me a fun new way to utilize my graphic design skills,” she said.
The shop offers 24 hand-scooped flavors of ice cream, hand-made waffle cones and dipped cones. They make milkshakes, malts, banana splits, ice cream floats with gourmet sodas, cookie sundaes and ice cream sandwiches. Earlier this summer, the film crew for TV show Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone, ordered 60 ice cream sandwiches while in town for filming.
Customers can also find a variety of candy for sale, from nostalgic treats like wax bottles, candy cigarettes and Peanut Chews to fan favorites like saltwater taffy and Jelly Belly and Harry Potter products. The Shusters have applied for a beer and wine license, so they can add prosecco and stout floats in the future.
As the 2025-26 academic year kicks off, Jon will serve as the store’s owner/operator, and Tennille will take care of the marketing and financial duties while she returns to teaching. Tennille said the store’s warm vibe and joyful atmosphere make it a fun and rewarding place to moonlight.
“We wanted to make an environment in our shop that’s super welcoming. Everyone that walks in that door, we want them to feel like family,” she said. “Our hope is to become part of the fabric of downtown, the community’s go-to sweet shop. We want to become a place that’s known for celebrations and joyful experiences.”
