Hartford Confectionary Shop Serves Nostalgia And Sweetness

HARTFORD, CT — City-based entrepreneur Melissa Melonson is looking for a few good "soda jerks," with more of an emphasis on the "soda" part than the latter aspect of the job.

After all, she's the owner of a new downtown business in one of the fastest-growing areas of Hartford. It is an establishment specializing in classic confectionary creations from a bygone era — specialty sodas.

Wednesday, "Emrey’s Specialty Sweets & Sodas" officially opened in Downtown Hartford at 196 Trumbull St., an area last occupied by FedEx before sitting vacant for years.

For now, the "temporary hours" are Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. A grand opening celebration is slated for Friday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m.

The shop, however, will be closed a bit from Sunday, Dec. 3, to Tuesday, Dec. 5, as the owner fine-tunes operations.

Originally pegged to open in the summer, Emrey's opening was delayed, but the enthusiasm hasn't waned.

For those not of a certain generation, soda bars were a staple of Americana before manufacturers shoved their fizzy, sweet drinks into bottles and cans.

Instead, they had to be made by so-called "soda jerks," who would jerk down levers that filled glasses full of fizzy, carbonated water.

Then the "soda jerks" would put in a diverse array of ingredients like flavored syrups and whipped cream.

At the turn of the last century, for example, this is how Coca-Cola was sold and marketed — in syrup form to be mixed at a soda fountain.

Add in the beautiful ingredient of ice cream and the number of concoctions in the "soda jerk's" repertoire is only contained by the imagination.

Just like 100 years ago, Emrey's features a soda bar offering all of those old-fashioned soda floats, specialty sweets, and hand-crafted milkshakes.

But don't think for a minute Emrey's is purely a nostalgic slice of Americana, where that is the sole gimmick.

Decked out in enough pink to make Taylor Swift show up (and maybe a certain NFL tight end), Emrey's also sells specialty candies and Emrey's-related merchandise.

It even has a photo booth where guests can burn off their sugar highs clowning around in front of a camera.

Family-owned, the soda shop’s "Emrey's" name is a combination of Melonson’s daughters' names — Emmi and Aubrey.

Meanwhile, Emrey's is ready to roll, though it has posted on social media that it is still looking for a few good "soda jerks" — baristas of sweetness — to man the fountains.

Melanson's journey to her new, unique business venture came with a little help courtesy of some community investment.

Property owners Shelbourne and Lexington Partners were recipients of the HartLift Program, which aided in the costs of what was an extensive buildout.

The building is in the Pratt Street Historic District, which has transitioned to a pedestrian-only street that hosts dozens of events each year and has become a much-desired spot for new retail.

Located not far from the XL Center, Emrey's might be the perfect place to indulge yourself with your family before a basketball or hockey game.

As for Melonson, she has experience working to make businesses like hers succeed.

That's because she is also the founder and owner of Hartford-based Lumi Hospitality, a boutique marketing agency with a focus on hospitality, real estate, and destination marketing.

In her work, clients include many established Hartford real estate developers, businesses and organizations, and the City of Hartford.

For more information on Emrey's, job openings and menu information, visit its Facebook page at this link and its website at this link.

From May 19: 'New Soda Shop To Open This Summer In Hartford'