Andrew Nelson grew up in Rigby and graduated from Rigby High School in 2006. This year, he returned to his hometown after purchasing The Caramel Tree, a caramel apple shop that also offers brownies, popcorn, dipped Oreos and more.

Nelson began school at Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg following his graduation from Rigby High, took time to serve a mission in Argentina for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then concluded his schooling before moving around to California, Oregon and Utah.

“I’d been working at tech companies in Utah, Oregon and California,” Nelson said. “Then I was just kind of done living in Utah, kind of done with the tech scene a little bit. I heard through the grapevine that The Caramel Tree was for sale, and I figured I could make that work.”

So Nelson purchased The Caramel Tree, and for him and his wife, Megan, the transition has been good but different. Megan, who is originally from Seattle, also attended school at BYU-Idaho and now assists with deliveries, picking up supplies, making products and completing work on the computer — all while caring for their 1-year-old son.

“It’s been fun to come back (to Idaho) — I don’t like big cities anymore,” Megan said with a laugh.

Andrew looks forward to growing the business, continuing to learn how to make caramels and chocolates, and developing new products.

“It’s night and day different from doing software,” he said. “But I like doing the caramel; it goes on everything and it’s the main staple. Only a few of us know how to make it and you gotta get it just right. Cooking the caramel — that’s a technique you have to be trained on.”

As he faces the uncertainty of making the business and financials all come together and work out, Andrew is excited for getting back into the basics of running a business and creating an easier gift-giving experience for customers.

“We’re coming out with a lot of new products that I’m excited about and that I think people will like,” he said. “I’m going to eventually move into online ordering once we can get things hammered out, but I want to make sure we can support the Christmas season first before doing the online store. The path forward is just growth.”

With the anticipation of owning a business, Andrew says he’s just excited for product development, building up a career, opportunities for growth, creating a home and raising their family.

The Caramel Tree is located at 146 E. Main St. in Rigby and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information, visit thecarameltree.com or facebook.com/thecarameltreerigby.