Peter Scontras is a purveyor of candy – sweetened by history.
“Penny candy used to refer to the price. Now it refers to the type of candy it is,” said Scontras, 69, during a break from replenishing jars of sweets. “I can’t buy candy for a penny.”
Scontras runs the Way Way Store, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The store opened in 1916 and has been in its current building on Buxton Road in Saco since 1929. Its name refers to its remote location on the outskirts of Saco.
A retired schoolteacher, Scontras reopened the store six years ago with the help of his wife, Bridget. The store had been closed in 2003 after having been run by generations of the Cousens family.
“I was always told by the generation before me, you can’t retire and do nothing. You have to keep your mind active. This has helped me a lot,” Scontras said.
Besides candy, the store sells candy, ice cream, homemade pies and even local vegetables.
The hardest part of the job? “You don’t know who is going to walk in the door, how many people, or when it’s going to happen.”
The best part of the job? “Some people come in and say they haven’t been in since they were kids. It brings back memories of a special time.”
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