FALCONER - If you're looking for a gift idea and don't want to fight traffic or customers at the large shopping centers, Falconer has a new store that may be able to help.
You Are My Sunshine Market is the new business that will feature gift baskets and also sell items usually found in them separately like candles, jams, candy, maple syrup, honey and other goods. To celebrate the store's opening, Lisa Genco, You Are My Sunshine Market owner, will be giving away free Christmas cards with every gift basket purchased.
Mrs. Genco said the gift baskets sold at You Are My Sunshine Market, located 102 E. Main St., Falconer, will be made to order.
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You Are My Sunshine Market is a new store, located at 102 E. Main St., Falconer, that will feature gift baskets and items like candles, jams, candy, maple syrup and honey.
P-J photo by Dennis Phillips
''If someone needs a last-minute gift idea, come in and we can help you out,'' she said. ''I'm looking to bring something new to the community. I want to keep the items affordable for the community. People should come in and we can put something nice together for them.''
Mrs. Genco, who was raised in Falconer and lives in the area, said she likes the location of the store, near the intersection of Work and Main streets.
''I grew up in Falconer. I've always lived in the area,'' she said. ''My kids go to school in Falconer. They can just walk down the street to come here after school. I'm a couple blocks away from one of the busiest intersections in all of Chautauqua County. I love my location.''
Mrs. Genco said the name of the business comes from the popular song, which has special meaning for her. She said the song was used to help a friend who suffered from a stroke during speech therapy sessions she would attend. Also, when her mother was dying of Alzheimer's disease, her family song the song to her mother during a special dinner.
''When we were singing the song you could see her kind of light up,'' she said. ''It was a really awesome experience.''
Mrs. Genco said then she was shopping in an antiques shop, saw a sign with the slogan ''You Are My Sunshine'' on it and knew that should be the name of her new store.
''I even designed the signs for the store, and I'm very proud of them,'' she said.
Mrs. Genco said, even though this is her first business to operate, owning a business is nothing new to her family. Her husband, Tony, is the owner of A.J. Genco Machine Shop in Falconer.
''He has helped me out so much and gave me this opportunity,'' she said.
Mrs. Genco said she is a very "plain jane" type of a person and people will not be overwhelmed when they visit the store. You Are My Sunshine Market sells 100 percent American items, with most of them from local vendors.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.