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Beloved SJ Chocolate Shop 'Schurra's' Closes Its Doors After 106 Years

SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- A popular San Jose chocolate shop is closing its doors. On Saturday, customers stopped by for one last piece.

"The people are very friendly and their chocolates are really good," says customer Frank Doetsch.

For more than a century -- 106 years, in fact, that was the recipe for success for Schurra's. But Saturday, at 5 p.m. this beloved family run business is calling it quits.

"Unfortunately, for these stores that have been around for a while, it's hard for them to survive," says Ann Bricarello, another longtime customer.

Much like Schurra's itself, Ann Bricarello says her family's love of the store and chocolate was lovingly passed down from one generation to the next.

"My grandmom used to come here and buy candy. She introduced my mom to the candy," says Bricarello. "She used to buy candy for the kids for Easter and Valentine's Day and that's how I got familiar with the place."

But in a world in which you can buy almost anything with a click of a mouse, Schurra's owners say it just didn't make sense anymore for them to keep a brick-n-mortar store. So, customers came one last time to stock up on their favorites.

"I came in to get some light caramel chocolate and some peanut cluster," says Doetsch.

A little chocolate to lighten the mood for an occasion that's inescapably bittersweet.

Schurra's is hoping to live on through online sales.

Customers can still buy Schurra's chocolate on the chocolatier's website, at schurrasfineconfections.com.

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