Truffles Newsletter

Truffles: So, what’s it like to be the Chief Bunny Maker at Sweet Designs? Jizwell: It’s fun. I’m always busy making and decorating our chocolates. Right now, I really like having the chance to create designs, particularly the lovely swirls on German Chocolates. Of course, at this time of year with Easter just around the corner, it’s bunny season. Truffles: How did you learn your craft? Jizwell: Before leaving Syria to come to America, I had my own bakery - Chocolate One. Summer was the busiest time as most of our business came from weddings and events. This experience really...

Truffles:  Tell us about your job.  Elenore: I was hired to be a chocolatier and used to just make chocolate, but in the last year, I’ve become responsible for tracking inventory and making sure our retail store has what it needs. Every day I check what they have, what’s getting low and what needs to be restocked.  We might have our products on a shelf in the kitchen but so that they’re not running out or going around in the middle of the day asking, “where’s the ???". I try to stay on top of it all.  And I also I might give a heads-up on our kitchen board for Rob, our kitchen manager, so we can add what we need for our kitchen production.  Truffles: Sounds like you’re sort of Sweet Designs version of an air-traffic controller?  Elenore: I never thought of it that way, but...

Truffles:  You were previously a social worker and have your Master’s in Social Work.  A big change from your former position?  Maria:  I thank my lucky stars for Sweet Designs every night. There’s a real family atmosphere here, Ines is a great boss and it’s amazing how happy chocolate makes people.  I leave here with a smile on my face every day.  I kind of apply my social work degree here – getting to know our customers and hearing their stories is most rewarding.   Truffles: What’s the hardest part of managing the store?  Maria: Probably staying away from the candies.  I came in here a pants-size smaller and I vowed to myself...

Truffles:  What’s it like managing the kitchen?  Rob:  It’s a daily adventure.  No matter how much we plan, there are always surprises, particularly this year.  We do everything we can to make great chocolate and keep customers happy, but this year is unlike any other.  We’re definitely in uncharted territory. No matter how hectic it gets, I always try to stay calm and keep my sense of humor. And we have a really great team that makes it all happen.   Truffles:  How’s your supply chain holding up?  Rob:  We’ve been working with many of our suppliers for a long-time, so we have pretty strong personal relationships that help us when we run into a jam.   Of course, they’ve also been affected by the pandemic and face some of the same challenges we have.  I’m lucky that our suppliers work...

Known as “man’s best friend” for so many reasons, dogs have long held a special place in the hearts of millions of Americans.  Their presence has helped many of us (along with generous amounts of chocolate) to remain sane and get through this extraordinarily challenging time.   But there’s one interesting fact about our four-footed pals, you might not know.  We recently learned that dogs have far fewer taste buds than humans do (about 1,700 compared to our 9,000). This means that dogs really can’t taste a lot of the food we give them. It’s the smell of food that attracts them. That...