Vandergrift's stroll down Sweetlane continues with new owners
It’s been a sweet a ride for Pete and Nicole Basile, who took over the family candy store and soda bar, Sweetlane Chocolate Shop in Vandergrift, about eight years ago.
But, like any good box of chocolates, it’s empty before you know it.
After growing sales by a reported 50 percent, the couple wants to slow down and get out of the business.
“It’s time,” said Pete Basile, who was dipping a seemingly endless line of mini pretzels in milk chocolate just days before Christmas trying to replenish empty shelves.
“I had to call in for reinforcements last weekend — the in-laws — to help pack chocolate boxes,” he said.
Basile turned to Nicole and said, “I’m 58 and I want to travel. I want to take her to Germany.”
The Basiles sold the business, including the building, for an undisclosed amount on Friday, selling to Eric Mikula, 49, and his wife Wanda Mikula, 43, who live in Vandergrift.
“I gave them a deal so they carry on the name and the recipes to keep the shop going,” said Basile, who was a third generation family member to run the business.
The candy story and restaurant celebrated its 70th anniversary last year.
Greek immigrants Emanuel and Zombouli Sgourakis opened Sweetlane in 1947, and their daughter and her husband, Poppy and Pete Basile, ran it from 1974 until 2009.
The store closed for about a year, then the Basiles’ son, Pete, and Nicole took it over in 2011.
Although the Basiles have family, they have no one to leave the business to, they said.
And the couple, Pete a current Vandergrift councilman and retired detective from Westmoreland County, and Nicole, a retired county emergency dispatcher, want to enjoy the remainder of their retirement.
Since they took over Sweetlane, their lives have been anything but retired.
Basile attributes the increased sales to word of mouth, a solid, traditional and fresh product and new candy creating a buzz, from chocolate bacon to the latest craze “Crack” English toffee.
In fact, there’s a run on “Crack” this holiday season as the Basiles can barely keep it in stock and, with their law enforcement backgrounds, can barely keep a straight face.
A police officer named the candy after tasting the unusually thin and tasty toffee after sampling it last year, saying this it was as “addictive as crack…give me 25 pounds.”
Nicole Basile remarked, “Now we had little old ladies coming in and asking for ‘Crack,’ which isn’t such a bad thing.”
Although the shop is sold, the Basiles will be on hand to help during the gauntlet of candy making – Christmas into Valentine’s Day into Easter.
They are happy to assist the new owners carry on the tradition of the shop, a prerequisite to the sale.
“Not only do we love the chocolate, we are going to keep everything the same,” Mikula said.
“Pete is a friend and my wife and I thought it was a great opportunity,” said Mikula, who is an insurance agent.
There already is a Mikula family tradition at Sweetlane: Mikula’s parents, the former Vandergrift Mayor Alan Mikula and his wife Letti, recently celebrated their 50 th wedding anniversary and noted they had their first date at Sweetlane.
Besides the popular chocolate confections and soda bar, the Mikulas want to offer fresh sandwiches and baked goods next year. Wanda Mikula has the vision for the fresh sandwiches after a decade of working at the recently shuttered Vandergrift Sprankles IGA deli and bakery.
The Basiles admit they will miss working at the store.
But on second thought, Nicole Basile said, “I will miss the customers, but I will get to see them, except now, I will be sitting on the other side of the counter.”
Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary Ann at 724-226-4691, mthomas@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MaThomas_Trib.
