We are known as The Strand and Pocahontas Mercantile & Sweet Shoppe and both are part of the red, yellow, and green buildings on the Pocahontas square.
The green section is the Sweet Shoppe, the yellow is Pocahontas Mercantile, and the red is The Strand.
Pocahontas Mercantile & Sweet Shoppe is a 1930s inspired mercantile filled with artisan handmade goods, nostalgic candies & sodas, hand dipped locally made Marcoot ice cream, and the best of three bakeries.
On the sweet side of the shoppe we have over 500 varieties of nostalgic and everyday candies and our newest addition is Bissinger's Chocolate from St. Louis. We have over 86 retro sodas in glass bottles that includes Ski products, Dr. Pepper, and numerous root beers and colas in vintage brands. And although we don't make a single bakery item in house, we carry the best pasteries, cookies, gooey butter cakes, and donuts from two local bakeries and a European bakery in Champaign that makes our cases even more enticing. Croissants, macarons, carrot cakes, chocolate mousse cakes, croughnuts, artisan breads and so much more are in the shoppe every weekend and Saturday is definitely the most delicious day at the Sweet Shoppe.
On the mercantile side, our artisans include broom makers, weavers, candle makers, soapers, seamstresses, cast iron refinishers, blacksmiths, bee keepers, and local authors and their wares fill the shelves of the mercantile, which was formerly the Delaurenti General store from 1921 to 1960. We also carry locally made charcoal, spices, sauces, cutting boards, and season flowers, and are always looking for new artisans to join us.
The former Strand Theater is connected to the mercantile and still has the ambiance of the 1940s with original stage, ticket window, ceiling, and floor. It's filled with Pocahontas memorabilia and a 1920s era bar, and makes a quaint venue with seating for 80 guests, which is perfect for small weddings, showers, parties, and meetings.