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North Jersey candy stores ‘do what we have to do to survive’ amid increasing challenges

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6 months ago

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North Jersey candy stores ‘do what we have to do to survive’ amid increasing challenges

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North Jersey residents with a sweet tooth were undoubtedly disappointed last week when two Bergen County candy stores announced their impending closures.

But the owners of other shops in the area say they have no plans to follow suit anytime soon, regardless of any challenges the industry may face.

Mrs. Hanna Krause’s Homemade Candy was the first store to break the news, announcing that the Paramus staple for more than six decades was closing for good on June 28. The Westwood Candy Company & Gift Shoppe followed just days later with an announcement from owner Kim Aluotto that the store would close at the end of June.

“It’s tough to be a small business nowadays,” Aluotto told NorthJersey.com last week. “If I was independently wealthy, I’d be here having fun all the time.”

Like in any other business, the economy has been a significant concern for candy shops throughout North Jersey. Ginny Monk, the owner of Bromilow’s Chocolates in Woodland Park and West Caldwell, cited inflation as one of the main problems impacting chocolate production in recent years.

“We’re definitely all experiencing huge increases in costs,” Monk said, though she noted, “We’ve been able to weather the storm so far.”

Nicole Cinquegrana, who owns Krause’s Candies in Paterson and Fairview, is already planning to slightly alter some of the stores’ items by the fall to increase profit margins. The inventory currently offers 1-pound chocolate boxes that will be reduced to 14 ounces in September, she said.

“We’ll have to do what we have to do in order to survive,” Cinquegrana said.

Ironically, the announced closures of Hanna Krause’s — which is not affiliated with Krause’s Candies — and Westwood Candy Company happened just before National Candy Month, recognized each June by the National Confectioners Association. But the timing of the news makes sense, according to Monk — candy stores are the busiest around the holiday season, Valentine’s Day and Easter before sales slow down considerably in the summer.

Both owners are part of the third generation of their respective business; Monk’s grandfather, Harry Bromilow, opened his namesake store in 1958, while Cinquegrana’s family has owned Krause’s for more than 50 years.

Today, Monk said, most candy shop owners seem to be “born into” the business while very few buy into it. That family-run nature, with the ability to pass the store down to successors, is critical for each company’s long-term viability.

“It’s a very physical industry,” Monk said. “If you don’t have a next generation coming in, it’s hard to keep it going.”

Despite ongoing challenges, residents’ desire for chocolate and candy remains as strong as ever. Bromilow’s had its best sales year ever in 2021 amid the COVID pandemic, Monk said, and while many Americans are focused on healthy eating, she noted that chocolate appears to be “one of those things that is the exception to the rule.”

Cinquegrana said longtime Krause’s customers often share memories of her father and grandmother with her, which she greatly enjoys. In the future, she hopes her children will own the shop and hear the same stories about her.

“It goes from generation to generation, and you can’t give that up,” Cinquegrana said. “There’s not many places like that anymore.”

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