Brad and John Millett planned to set up an antique shop. Instead, they’re deep into a historic remodel of a downtown High Springs building and anticipate opening a soda and sweets store.  

“Everything has led us to this point,” Brad said. “We really feel like opening an old-fashioned soda fountain wasn’t something in our plans, but we are so excited.”   

The serendipitous journey to being soda shop entrepreneurs also led to the name: Serendipity Vintage Soda & Sweets, with the goal to open in March. 

The store will have more than just soda; it’ll be a conglomerate of sweets to create into any kind of concoction. Brad and John have spoken with locals to stock the store with specialties like chocolate, donuts, fudge, ice cream and vegan baked goods.  

John said the work has expanded beyond what they first thought. It’s just a sweet shop after all, he said. But the permits required for a sweet shop are identical to those of a restaurant with a commercial kitchen.  

The commercial kitchen will allow the sweets vendors to come into the store and prepare the goods on site. So far, they’ve got seven High Springs locals lined up along with one from Gainesville and one in St. Augustine. 

“The point is to have a variety, and we don’t want to suit just one person’s taste,” Brad said. “We want everybody that comes in here to find something from their childhood.”   

Customers can grab a donut and some fudge and get ice cream for a custom sundae or pick a soda flavor to make a float. 

Constructed in 1895, the building started as a pharmacy located right off State Road 45. It ended as Pot of Gold before most of the building sat vacant except for an attorney’s office.  

The building is divided into three segments, and the plan is to have an antique space fill one of them and a private event venue as the third. Whether birthdays or anniversaries or any event, the space would be available with delicious food not far away.  

The space will include a special entryway reminiscent of Harry Potter, where a book needs to be pulled to open the hidden doorway. 

John said he anticipated being able to open after a year of work, but the renovations have taken longer. They’re tackling the majority of the projects themselves and with family members. After their full-time jobs in Gainesville, it’s to the shop for handyman work.  

John and Brad moved to High Springs in 2021 and remodeled a 1920s home in about six months. They rummaged through antique stores to find furniture that fit the space, and that’s where the idea of an antique store started.  

They sold the home to buy the soda shop after convincing the owner to sell.  

Renovations have included getting rid of ceilings added on top of the ceilings and multiple subfloors. The building didn’t have electricity or plumbing when constructed, and these amenities were added hodgepodge later, they said. The wiring and ductwork and pipes were all pulled out and put back in.  

The soda shop will have a 1920s vibe, and John said they had the HVAC workers hide ductwork in the attic to stay authentic. 

The cabinets are original, sanded down and soon to be restored. Their Facebook page shows the restoration as it progressed, including customizing columns, redoing the facade and installing the soda fountain.  

“There’s not one part of the space that’s not going to get touched and redone in some way, even where we’re standing right now,” Brad said from the back of what used to be the attorney’s office. “It’s still in the plan. This will be arches all the way down.” 

Brad and John recently held their first meeting with local vendors and still need to research glass soda bottles and other inventory. As the renovations come toward an end, the research can ramp up and opening will come around the corner.