To keep the shop afloat, the actors and their wives bought the store in December 2014.
Samuel’s Sweet Shop is located on East Market Street in New York. The shop was established in 1994 by Ira Gutner and it was then called Samuel’s of Rhinebeck. The sweet shop is known for serving up the sweet stuff, including cookies, candy, chocolates, and much more. It has become a part of the locality and neighborhood over the two decades it has been running, satisfying the sweet cravings in the area. But during the store's 20th year, things took a turn for the worse when Gutner passed away. The little sweet haven would have possibly shut down but two Hollywood stars stepped in to stop that from happening.
Hudson Valley residents, Paul Rudd and Jeffrey Dean Morgan along with their spouses, Julie Rudd and Hilarie Burton decided to buy the store and make sure it would keep running smoothly. They also took care to preserve the old-time charm of the place. The shop's current partner and manager, John Traver, received encouragement from the actors to keep running the shop after Gutner's death, reported USA Today. “It continued to operate in the wake of Ira’s death,” said Traver. “Due to lots of hard work and good fortune, it continued to operate.”
To keep the shop afloat, the actors, their wives, and a third couple with ties to the entertainment industry stepped in and bought the store in December 2014. The Walking Dead star even brought attention to the store on national television. He wore a Samuel's hat on an episode of Talking Dead, the television talk show that immediately follows each episode of The Walking Dead, as well as turned up to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon with a Samuel’s gift basket. “We couldn’t buy an endorsement like that, with a national television audience,” Mary Kay Vrba, president of Dutchess Tourism said, noting the tourism value this simple gesture created.
Traver who now runs the day-to-day activities joined the shop when he was just 15. “He wanted me to assume as much responsibility as possible,” Traver recalled about Gutner's training at the time. “And I wanted to assume as much responsibility as possible. I ordered everything. I received everything. I paid the bills. I made the easy phone calls, the hard phone calls. I hired and fired. I did everything.” This prepared him to look after the shop after Gutner's untimely demise.
"Today we are known as Samuel’s Sweet Shop, and while our name has changed a little, our commitment to providing our customers the very best in candy, chocolate, coffee & tea, baked goods, and other delicious treats hasn’t changed one bit," Traver stated. "In fact, we’re working as hard as we can to make your experience with us better than ever."
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