At Joni's Candy & Cake Supplies, located in the Greenwood Plaza in Connellsville, the party never ends.
The store's owner, Joni Wisilosky, who had once worked in retail, started the business in August of 2000. She had been making candy - both for fun and as a business - for years, when she realized something. This area was in desperate need of a store to sell cake and candy-making supplies. So, with the help of her husband, Vic, who retired from Anchor Hocking after 27 years of service, she opened the store.
Because of her previous experience working with candy, a variety of candy supplies can be found at Joni's. The store offers candied fillings, oils for hard tack candy, and more than 1,200 candy molds for any occasion, along with a wide selection of Merkins wafers.
The wafers are available in many different flavors including the store's best seller: chocolate. They can be melted down and poured into molds to make candy.
According to Wisilosky, candy is a great place for a beginner to start because of how easy it is to make.
"It's the easiest thing ever," said Wisilosky.
In addition to its easiness, candy is a great place to start because of the many things that can be done with it.
"It makes a wonderful gift item," said Wisilosky.
Giving candy away as a gift is just the beginning. Candy can also be used as favors. Because of the many different molds available, candy can be made to fit any party theme including birthdays, bridal and baby showers, weddings and holidays.
Because of the nature of the business, Wisilosky said the store pretty much operates holiday to holiday. Although the Christmas rush has just ended and January is one of the few slow times at the store, Wisilosky said she is already gearing up for Valentine's Day. She also reports that customers have come in inquiring about Easter, too.
Although the store has restricted hours now (Monday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday, noon to 5 p.m.), the hours vary according to season. In anticipation of Valentine's Day, Joni's will be open more hours after the first of February.
Those interested in dabbling in candy-making will find a valuable ally in Wisilosky. Because she has been making candy herself for so long, she also provides her customers with a significant service. In addition to supplies, she often provides beginners and expert candy-makers with suggestions, ideas and advice.
"We offer more than just supplies. We want to get the word out that we are here to help people," said Wisilosky.
One thing she likes to do is pass recipes onto her customers that she has gotten off the Internet or from other customers.
Although candy is her first love, Wisilosky recently has been learning more about making cakes. She has never taken a lesson, but said her skills are definitely improving.
Among the traditional cake supplies available at the store, Joni's also offers cake boxes for all sizes, including wedding cakes. Weddings are a big draw for Wisilosky because they occur throughout the year. Joni's also has an extensive list of rental items available including wishing wells, castles and cake stands.
For other kinds of parties, the store has character cake kits including cartoons, sports, Sesame Street. In addition to cake supplies, Joni's also can provide customers with other party items - balloons, ribbons and other decorations.
For those who aren't interested in making their own cake, Wisilosky also works with four or five professional bakers that she can recommend. According to Wisilosky, it's a win-win situation because she gets them customers and they, in turn, buy their cake supplies from her.
For questions or hours, call Joni's Candy & Cake Supplies at 724-628-4999.
