Help Restore Historic Candy Kitchen on Madeira Beach

Please help rebuild Candy Kitchen , which is a historic business on Madeira Beach. They have been in business for over 74+ years. Due to Hurricane Helene, the business has been completely destroyed. Although the building still remains, the machinery necessary to make the delicious ice cream generations have enjoyed was completely destroyed.

Due to the beachside location, the owners, Mathew Giordano and Alexis August, were unable to afford the skyrocketing cost of flood insurance. So those of us who remember going to Candy Kitchen on late summer nights for their favorite flavor of ice cream have decided we won't let this setback destroy a place so many of us hold so dear. We are setting an initial goal of $35k to help with purchasing new equipment, payroll for himself and his team, and to replace all of the hard-to-find candy and sodas on display. As a personal friend of Mathew's and after hearing how distraught he was upon surveying the damage today, I've decided to start this GoFundMe to help my friend keep his small business alive after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

Candy Kitchen was known for staying open as late as they needed to service their long line of customers that patiently waited each night even after the shop was technically closed. We as a community can return the favor by helping to make sure we don't lose this historic spot!