SANTA CRUZ — Locals and visitors with a sweet tooth will have to get their fill of Marini’s Candies before the Pacific Avenue store closes Sunday.

Owners of the sweets shop at 1308 Pacific Ave. announced Aug. 13 on Facebook that the downtown Santa Cruz store is closing after more than 20 years in business at that location.

“It’s really unfortunate,” co-owner Gino Marini said. “The best thing for our company as a whole is to close.”

Marini said it’s closing for a number of factors. Sales are declining, rent and expenses are increasing, there are more competing ice cream shops and sugar stores and there’s not as much foot traffic as there used to be.

“Downtown isn’t really the family friendly environment that it used to be,” Marini said.

Marini said they would like to come back when the downtown area is cleaner, but the business needs a more workable and smaller space. Some employees have quit while those who want to transfer will work at Marini’s other locations, he said.

Marini’s started when founder Victor Marini brought his family from Italy to Santa Cruz in 1905 and bought a customer’s popcorn stand at the Boardwalk in 1915. Marini’s son Joe Sr. and his wife Josephine expanded the business to making saltwater taffy, caramel corn and candy apples. Two generations later, Nick and Gino Marini operate the store today. Marini’s sells saltwater taffy, chocolate covered bacon, fudge, caramel corn and more.

Marini’s at the Wharf opened in 1984 and Marini’s Westside opened in 2015 to mark the company’s 100th anniversary, Gino Marini said.

“This isn’t the end,” Gino Marini said. “This is more stepping back, regrouping, making some conscious decisions and moving forward.”

Marini’s downtown is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Gino Marini said the store might have a closing sale, but nothing is concrete.

Marini’s at the Wharf, Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf No. 55A, is open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 or 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, depending on the season. Call 831-425-7341 for hours. Marini’s Westside, 332 Ingalls St., is open from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.