CocoLuxe fine pastries opened at 161 Main St. in Peapack in May 2004. In November 2004, the bakery-cafe became a food sponsor for Full Circle, the annual celebration of the Matheny Medical and Educational Center's Arts Access Program, providing an array of delicious desserts in the gallery of the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center. So, says Paula Canari, cocoLuxe's current owner, "We're celebrating cocoLuxe's 10th year, and this will be the 10th year we've been at Full Circle."
The 20th anniversary of Arts Access, Full Circle 2013 Reflections, will be held Saturday, November 2, from 3-6 p.m., and, of course, cocoLuxe will be there. "We really enjoy being involved in this event," Canari says. "We're very selective about what we participate in, but I love the fact that Matheny is so local." The most popular pastry item among the Full Circle attendees, Canari says, is a mini lemon meringue tartlet, but "anything pumpkin does well, too." Matheny is a special hospital and educational facility in Peapack for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities. Through Arts Access, individuals with disabilities can fully express themselves in the creative arts.
Canari, a resident of Franklin Lakes, was hired as a sous-chef by cocoLuxe's original owner Joane Gusweiler. Gusweiler eventually sold the business to Steve Roth, owner of the Oldwick General Store, and then Canari purchased it from Roth in 2008. The location is perfect, she says, because it's next to the post office, "and people have to pick up their mail. Our goal is to keep everything fresh, so sometimes we disappoint people when we run out of something." Canari is quick to point out that cocoLuxe's success is based on a team effort. "There are so many people in the kitchen and behind the counter working so hard," she says, pointing out that many of her employees have been with her for several years. (In the accompanying photo, Canari is at far right with Christina Dean of Martinsville, left, an employee of eight years and Camille Leisy of Bridgewater, who has been with cocoLuxe about a year).
Other food/beverage sponsors at Full Circle are: Cafe Azzurro, Peapack; Gladstone Tavern, Gladstone; 3 West and Urban Table, Basking Ridge; and Village Office Supply, Somerset. Gold sponsors of Full Circle are Provident Bank and James and Judith Finn; Silver sponsor is The Hartford; and Bronze sponsors are the Angeletti Group, Angelina and Steve Brown and Shoprite of Hunterdon County. For more information or to order tickets ($30), call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260, or email pcats@matheny.org.
