Attention all chocolate enthusiasts! Stefanelli’s is thrilled to announce the opening of a brand new storefront, officially scheduled to open on October 3rd!
Located on 177 Mercer Street, the store will later be accompanied by a renovated factory — but this is not just ANY candy factory in Pennsylvania! This newly renovated space will encompass over 12,000 square feet, ensuring our chocolatiers have ample room to whip up more candy products than ever before!
Boosting Chocolate Production
A bigger candy factory in Pennsylvania means more opportunity for growth. Stacey Kessler, one of the three sisters in ownership of the company, commented that the factory will open up new opportunities for faster candy production.
Enrobers — the machines responsible for coating treats with Stefanelli’s chocolate — will be key to this new frontier of candymaking. These amazing machines work by keeping the chocolate at a consistent temperature before moving it into what is known as as a flow pan. From here, the chocolate falls in a delectable curtain, completely coating everything in a layer of sweet delight! With the incorporation of additional enrobers in the facility, chocolate production will become much more efficient.
Despite multiple successful locations in Erie, it was determined that the tight boundaries of the original production facility somewhat stinted further development. As Kessler went on to explain, the limited warehouse footage has made it very difficult to expand in certain areas — namely, a shipping department with enough loading tank capacity.
In recent times, the team at Stefanelli’s has even resulted to renting out other locations for the production of packing materials. The new location in Meadville will provide some much-needed space for the next stage in the Stefanelli’s story!
Sweet Things Are Coming!
The renovation is no small feat, with costs soaring to above $1 million. Expansions will include production lines and innovative equipment for better temperature control, which is essential to the art of candymaking. Production lines are quite complex, and can include equipment for several stages:
- Depositors, which create a mold for the molten chocolate
- Enrobers, which coat the treats in chocolate
- Coolers, which maintain a regular temperature to help the candy take shape
- Slicers, which cut the chocolate into its desired form
Adding to the excitement, this modern candy factory in Pennsylvania will enable candymakers to craft new delicious treats — both chocolate and beyond!
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