A South Jersey chocolatier will also make ice cream
VINELAND – A longtime chocolatier has added another treat to the mix: ice cream
You can’t go wrong with ice cream, right?
Amy Barbera, owner of the popular Barbera’s Chocolate On Occasion, is now opening an ice cream shop: Barbera’s Chocolate Ice Cream Shoppe.
“Ice cream goes with chocolate,” said Barbera, who started her business 20 years ago and built a strong following for her handmade chocolate treats.
The initial plan, she explained, was to acquire a larger building to increase production and begin online sales.
“We outgrew the kitchen we work in about 10 years ago, but we managed to make it work,” said Barbera, whose Barbera’s Chocolate on Occasion Facebook page has nearly 10,000 followers. “Opening an ice cream parlor made sense because it allowed us to do business during the summer months, when we don’t produce a lot of chocolate due to the heat.
The store will be across a parking lot from Barbera’s current location.
“We hope to open at the end of the summer,” she said.
The self-taught chocolatier has ice cream in mind
Barbera is the sole owner of his chocolate business, located at 782 South Brewster Road in the Madison Square complex in Vineland, and will also be the sole owner of the ice cream business there. She will continue to operate both with the help of her family.
“I was taught to work hard and I don’t mind that,” she added, noting the contributions of “a great staff and a great support system.” as well as “an incredible customer following.”
Barbera studied graphic design and education and was formerly an art teacher. But she was always fascinated by chocolate and quickly realized that what was a hobby had become much more than that.
She learned on the job and by studying the technique, watching YouTube and researching the Internet. She was able to practice her techniques in her home kitchen and later made baskets for her father’s clients.
Barbera took a leap of faith and opened his store in 2004.
“A great confectionery wonderland” for this chocolatier
Chocolates include seasonal specialties and decorative treats. She believes they set themselves apart from other chocolatiers by using handmade chocolates in their creations and says, “no one can replicate that.”
The best ice cream?Who won the ice cream poll?
Barbera does not feel in competition with the other ice cream parlors already present. South Jersey has quite a few.
“The only person I’m in constant competition with is myself,” she shared. “I always strive to be a little better today than I was yesterday. Vineland is a big town and there are enough businesses for everyone. I applaud all the other ice cream makers who are keeping their small businesses going…it’s not easy. I want us all to survive. I started this business from scratch. I learned how to make chocolate by reading while we built the chocolate factory. I had a one-year-old child and quit my job as an art teacher. We have really grown over the last 20 years.
“…We will have a great confectionery wonderland. Ice cream parlor, indoor seating and our larger scale chocolate factory. The ice cream will open first, then we will work on completing the chocolate factory. It’s a big project. »
Consider a digital subscription to support our journalism
