Chocolate Shoppe Leaving Mendham After Fire, Reopening Nearby

MENDHAM, NJ — After a fire in Mendham destroyed multiple businesses, some are still figuring out their next moves. For the Chocolate Shoppe, that move is literal: the owners have decided to leave Mendham and open a new location in their hometown of Long Valley later this fall.

Darleen and Mike Wizorek have been running the Chocolate Shoppe, a popular local candy store, since 2006 when they purchased the Washington Township, Warren County location (it first opened in 1980). They successfully expanded to Mendham in 2009, until a December 2016 garbage truck fire spread to the strip mall they were located in, destroying the building.

Their daughter, Emily Oldmixon, told Patch reopening in Mendham was unrealistic, given the season nature of candy sales.

"Due to us being a seasonal business (Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter) and the repairs being so delayed we were forced to close the business there, given that we wouldn't be up and running for Valentine's Day or Easter," she told Patch.

But the family wasn't going to give up. Instead of sticking to just the Warren County location, the family decided to move home.

"We decided to consolidate the two locations into one location in our lovely home town of Long Valley," Em told Patch.

It's a natural fit. The Wizoreks have lived in Long Valley since 1983, and Oldmixon and her husband are lifelong residents.

The Long Valley location will have its grand opening on Nov. 14. It'll be located in the new Dunkin Donuts strip mall on Route 513 (the address is 62 East Mill Road).

The Washington, Warren County location will shutter by the end of October, and will have liquidation sales (the website boasts discounts of 50 to 60 percent off). The Chocolate Shoppe also plans on continuing deliveries to Mendham. For more information, email info@chocolatenj.com or call 908-689-4606.

Read More:

• Garbage Truck Fire Damages Shopping Center In Mendham
• Mendham Businesses Rally Around Those Destroyed By Fire
• Aoyama Set To Reopen In Mendham After Fire

Image via Chocolate Shoppe, used with permission