ELLISON BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Most engaged couples show their love for each other with a ring and a wedding but for Ryan Mueller and Rebecca Whipple they decided buying a candy store was the next step in their relationship.

Rebecca Whipple, half of the owner team at Uncle Tom’s Candy Store said, “It’s kinda been a girlhood dream of mine. When I was a little girl I always had a dream of opening my own candy store.”

Ryan Mueller, Whipple’s fiance and the other owner of the store said making that dream come true fell in their lap late last year. He said, “Covid became a little disenchanting especially in my professional world of finance and my parents who live up here in Door County heard Uncle Tom’s was coming up for sale.”

The two said the rest is history. They decided to buy the business and save the loved institution from closure and they get a chance to work with each other every day.

“It’s been a dream,” said Mueller. “Rebecca’s the love of my life. She makes me whole. She’s so good at everything I’m not and I think we provide a great balance to one another.”

Whipple admits they are not perfect but are handling their relationship and running the business well. “We’re just like any other couple. We’ll have our spats here and there but he has his skills. I have mine, they even out perfectly for the business,” said Whipple. “He’s much better at being the professional aspect of things and I’m more the customer service side.”

They said they will maintain the original recipes of the products people have come to know and love.

“We are staying true to all of the products that uncle tom and his family created,” said Whipple. “That would include our pancake mix, our fudge as well as our brittle and we are also continuing bark, which the previous owner, Heather Laughlin began, and we have really expanded for Valentine’s Day with our strawberries and cream.”

Running a successful business takes a true love of what you are doing and Mueller and Whipple said they could not be happier to bring their love to their new home.

“We are going to have a huge focus on our community, Ellison Bay, all of the Door County area. We want to make sure we get out in the community,” said Mueller.

The couple plans to expand the business outside of Northern Door County as it grows. They will tie the knot late this spring.