A new spot for a local sweet shop is drawing in even more sugar-lovers
By: Melissa Morgan
Mary Gondek wears her chocolate well.
With tons of the sweet stuff completely covering her hand and reaching almost to her elbow, Mrs. Gondek sat in the back of her shop on Saturday and delicately dipped trays of orange peel and caramels.
"I am the dipper," she said. "That’s my job. They call me the big dipper."
Mrs. Gondek runs Confectionately Yours, a homemade ice cream and chocolate shop on Route 27 in Franklin Park, with her husband Joe, "the molder," who makes and presses all the molds for the chocolate candies they sell.
Their daughters, Jessica and Stacey Gondek, manage the store and are in charge of the ice cream, gift baskets and making sure their customers stay happy.
"We only serve what we’d expect to get anywhere else," said Jessica Gondek.
Jessica Gondek said giving each family member a specific role helps cut down on occasional conflicts.
"There are four bosses, and everyone wants to be the head boss," she said. "We have it out and then forget about it five minutes later."
The Gondek family has been resolving conflicts and working together for nearly 22 years. Until a couple of weeks ago, they ran their sweet shop out of another Route 27 location, but in August, Stacey Gondek said they received a letter from their landlord explaining that he would not renew their lease.
She said she cried for three days when she opened the letter.
"We had no clue it was hitting us," she said.
But their customers, who were just as upset, stepped in to rescue the Gondeks. Stacey Gondek said one of their customers told them there was a building for sale close by, the former Aranka’s restaurant at 3185 Route 27. She immediately picked up the phone and made a deal. After avoiding a potential crisis, she said getting that letter was one of the best things that could have happened to her family, and the new shop will guarantee them continued sweet success.
"The store has a personality that can’t be beat," she said of the new shop. "It was like an angel saying, ‘This is perfect for the Gondeks.’"
Her family agrees.
"It’s well constructed, easily visible and has a big parking lot and a great deck outside," said Mr. Gondek. "I watched them build this building, and I thought then it had so many things that would be perfect."
"It’s bright, warm and welcoming, like entering a little piece of heaven," said Jessica Gondek.
Walking into the Gondeks’ new shop is like arriving at a candy land of ice cream chocolates, gifts and cards. The ice cream section, which sells flavors including tangerine, bubble gum, cherry cheesecake and chocolate pecan turtle, takes up one side of the store, while gifts and chocolates fill the other. Chocolate-lovers can choose from candies like strawberry jellies, peanut butter cups, turtles, almond clusters and Irish cream truffles. Of course, just in time for Easter, an abundance of different sized chocolate bunnies and chicks are also on display.
Stacey Gondek said the quality of the sweets they sell is what keeps customers coming back for more.
"We don’t skimp on anything," she said. "Hydrox doesn’t substitute for Oreos in our cookies and cream. If people come this year or came 10 years ago, the flavors and ingredients are the same."
And the customers appreciate the shop’s attention to detail.
"The people are the nicest, friendliest people," said customer Jean Quaback. "We come here all the time all the way from Sayreville."
Stacey Gondek said tons of their customers volunteered to help them move into the new shop, and some even bring yearly Christmas presents to show their appreciation for the Gondeks. They have received gift certificates to restaurants, roses and even champagne.
"We have the best customers in the world," said Stacey Gondek. "I love it because I have a huge extended family. Where else can you go where the customers give you a hug?"
Mrs. Gondek said the friendly atmosphere of Confectionately Yours creates the supportive clientele.
"If you are good to the community, the community is good to you," she said. "These are the people who support our business."
Jessica Gondek said when some customers move away from South Brunswick, they stop by the shop and stock up on ice cream when they come back to visit. She said the family runs into people who have been to their store everywhere they go even on vacation in Bermuda.
"We met a family from Texas on vacation, and told them about our shop," said Jessica Gondek while decorating a made-to-order ice cream cake with balloons. "The woman, who had been to the store, said, ‘Oh, Confectionately Yours! You guys have the best chocolate peanut butter ice cream.’ When people remember you for an ice cream flavor, that says something."
Since they opened three weeks ago, Jessica Gondek said customers continue to flock to the shop. In fact, they are even busier than before.
"Believe me, they are finding us just fine," she said.
A large customer base and a busy shop means Confectionately Yours will expand their products in the future. Jessica Gondek said after Easter, the business will start using the grill they inherited in the new store to serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Regardless of how the shop expands in the future, Jessica and Stacey Gondek said they love knowing they are both guaranteed a job they love.
"Who wouldn’t want to do this for a living?" said Jessica Gondek. "How can you not smile when you open the door?"
Confectionately Yours will have an official grand opening celebration this Saturday and Sunday, April 5 and 6, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call the shop at (732) 821-6863 for more information.