Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 34 C heryl Till bought Bayside Chocolates, a small business in the remote Downeast commu- nity of Lubec, last year to channel her hobbyist passion for candy-making into a commercial endeavor. In just a year, her star product — peppermint patties made with organic ingredients — has found its way into celebrity gift bags given out in conjunction with the Academy Awards and celebrity chef Bobby Flay's food shows; and will be an offi cial product at this year's centen- nial celebrations of Acadia National Park. And she's grown her wholesale connections from two to about 10 out- lets in Maine, ranging from Machias Hardware to Tiller & Rye in Brewer. Still, the retail side is iff y in this small community that's off the beaten track and depends largely on tourists and summer residents who form the bulk of her retail business. "When the tourist season ended, customers ended," she says of her fi rst summer, in 2015. " ere are few people in Lubec, especially during this time of year. My goal is not to earn all the money in summer and then spend it during the winter, just paying overhead. I want to be earning money all year long. Lubec businesses need to work to increase traffi c all year long." Bayside Chocolates was founded around 2000 by lobster fi sherman Eugene Greenlaw, who passed away in February 2015. Till, who grew up making candy for friends and family, was working in the business offi ce of East Machias' Washington Academy, where the sister of Greenlaw's wife also worked and made it known the business was up for sale. Greenlaw had established a wel- coming place. Yelp reviews from his tenure refl ect the spirit: " is isn't just a chocolate shop, but a social gather- ing spot too," one reviewer wrote. Till took the plunge, paying an undisclosed price for the business. "I always wanted to have a busi- ness of my own," she says. "You get to a point where life's getting short. I had the opportunity and I took it. I wanted to be able to do something that was fun, and provide a product that's better for people. A lot of people don't care what they eat when it comes to candy. But I care." P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R KITTERY April 27 | 5–7pm | STAR Theatre, Kittery www.mainebiz.biz/OTRkittery 207.761.8379 x341 R E G I S T E R T O DAY Break away from your desk to meet and mingle with other members of the Kittery business community at our second stop in the 2016 On the Road with Mainebiz series! This is a great forum to put a face with a name plus make new business connections. u admission is free u complimentary hors d'oeuvres u cash bar FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #OTRKittery16 Cheryl Till, owner of Bayside Chocolates in Lubec, has helped expand the shop's reach by getting peppermint patties and other products into other stores, as well as gift bags for the Oscars. P H O T O / L E S L I E BOW M A N A caring approach to chocolate Bayside Chocolates gains repute, seeks sustainability B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

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