Candy Store owner says rent hike forcing closure
The Candy Store on Main Street, a staple of downtown Tiburon for nearly three decades, is shutting down by the end of the month, sparking a GoFundMe campaign and protests by residents as owner Jennifer Torres says a 61% rent increase is forcing her out.
Torres said she was “shocked” by landlord A&C Ventures’ December offer that would raise her monthly rent to $6,177 from $3,834. That accounts for a 44% baseline rent increase plus a new fee for building-and-space upkeep. An alternative to avoid the new fee, she said, was a mandatory out-of-pocket investment into building modernizations and renovations she estimated would cost “at least” $15,000-$20,000.
The 33-year-old Tiburon native, who’s worked at the shop for nearly half her life — she started part-time at age 17 before buying it from the retiring owners when she was 24 — said she’s now scrambling to clear out.
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