Legendary Cork sweet shop shows even the most traditional of businesses can make the move online

Business has gone from strength to strength since the shop doors closed

Father and son Danny and Tony Linehan of Shandon Sweets on John Redmond Street, Cork where the family has made traditional Irish handmade sweets since 1929. Known for its clove rocks, bullseyes, and brus the pandemic has brought changes to the business, with the opening of their online store delivering all over Ireland.  Picture: Dan Linehan. 

Shandon Sweets in Cork City went online recently and the move has been so successful that owner Tony Linehan is wondering why he didn’t do it sooner.

But he does miss the face to face contact with his customers and is hopeful that the doors to his much loved sweet shop will open again.

The business comprises a multi-award winning Sweet Factory and shop located in the famous Shandon Quarter of the city and the sweets - which are handmade, using traditional methods and original machinery - have been produced at the site by the family since 1929.

The most famous confectionery includes Clove Rock, Cough Drops and Brus - the leftover 'shrapnel' from all the other sweets.

Tony and Danny Linehan at their famous shop in Cork city. Picture: Dan Linehan. 

“For me moving online is a new way to do business,” Tony told the Irish Examiner.

“I am so used to having the shop and meeting people; obviously contact with people isn’t going to be happening for a while so I was left with a choice - either close up or go online.

“And, since we went online, business has been so good that I have been left wondering why I didn’t make the move years ago.” 

The demand for Shandon Sweets “comes and goes” as Tony added, “but for the last couple of years demand is getting better and better and better”.

The move online has exacerbated that demand and means the famous sweets are now reaching all corners of Ireland.

“I’m sending sweets to places in Ireland that I have even heard of - orders are going to Donegal, Galway and from West Cork to the tip of Ireland,” continued Tony.

“When I had the shop, the Munster region was as far as my sweets went and now they are going all over Ireland.

“Business is better than it ever was but I do miss meeting people and I’m still getting use to the move...but so far so good.” 

Despite the ongoing restrictions, the vaccine rollout does provide Tony with some hope that his shop will eventually reopen its doors.

“Hopefully we will be able to open the shop again; that is what Shandon Sweets was known as - we make the sweets here and sell them in the shop - that is who we are.

“In fact we are the only sweet shop left in Ireland that is doing this.

There are plenty of shops that sell the sweets but we are the only ones that make and sell them.

“So, to see the shop open again would be great.” 

Meanwhile, Tony highlighted how it was his nephew Owen Lynch who convinced him to move online.

And as Tony admits now, “it was a push in the right direction”.

“He really pushed me on the website; in fact he told me that if I didn’t move online my business would sink so he did the marketing and set up the online shop for me,” he continued.

“Business has gone from strength to strength since we did it; at the moment we have 10 products but we are planning to add a few more over the coming weeks.”