A sweet addition to Historic Downtown Millersburg
Members of Historic Downtown Millersburg and Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau joined owner Verna Troyer in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 21 to celebrate the grand opening of Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe.
Historic Downtown Millersburg continues to blossom, adding one more attraction to its downtown district on April 21 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Verna Troyer, several members of her family who are involved with the chocolate-making process, and several members of the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau and Historic Downtown Millersburg stopped in to participate in the grand opening of HDM’s newest addition, Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe, which is now entrenched on the northeast corner of Washington and Jackson in Millersburg.
On behalf of the Holmes County Chamber and Historic Downtown Millersburg, Jason Hummel welcomed visitors to the ribbon-cutting ceremony and spoke about Millersburg’s newest attraction.
“We’re happy to have Verna and Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe here in Millersburg,” Hummel said. “I can see I’m going to have to make plenty of stops here.”
Troyer thanked the many supporters who made the grand opening possible and talked about being a part of the Millersburg landscape.
“There’s a lot of history behind our candy, and we needed a good place to market our candy,” Troyer said. “A lot of work went into moving in and renovating this place, but it turned out really great. I could not have done this without my family. We really are a family business, and we will continue to add plenty of more items as we grow.”
Troyer said they make all their candy at the store daily and welcome people to come in and watch it being made.
One thing she loves about the new store is people walking by can stop and peer through the large front window to see what’s going on in the shop.
For the area leaders who promote the village of the county, this addition marks another feather in the cap of inviting tourists to the county and HDM, as well as a wonderful option for locals to enjoy.
“This adds another level of experience for downtown,” said Tiffany Gerber, executive director of Holmes County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. “We have a growing number of restaurants downtown, and now we have another sweet treat to complement our area. That they are having activities related to busses is exciting.”
That activity is allowing bus tour patrons to stop in and hand-dip their own buckeye treats, which is one way Troyer will integrate a more personal feel to the store.
Gerber said the continuing growth in HDM and throughout the county has been exciting to watch as businesses continue to crop up and prosper.
“I think it shows the consumer confidence in our county,” Gerber said.
Judy Lamp, executive director of Historic Downtown Millersburg, said seeing Troyer grow and expand her business adds to the allure of HDM.
“The unique and different types of businesses is what we strive to bring into the downtown area,” Lamp said. “Things you won’t find just anywhere, and Verna brings that unique experience to Millersburg.”
The grand opening marked a move up the street for Troyer, who was encamped a block west on Jackson Street. However, when the corner spot with the great visibility became available in the former Young Music & Sound store, she leaped at the opportunity to renovate the store into the type of interactive sweet shoppe she had always envisioned.
Troyer said people tend to separate the storefront area from the production area. Her goal with the new store was to combine both so people can see the product from start to finish.
Troyer said having the candy displayed in the front window where she can showcase an array of candies, along with the concept of allowing people to view the candy in the back of the store as it is being made, should make for greater interaction with customers.
“I’m really excited about the feedback I’ve received,” Troyer said. “So many people are excited to see us finding a home here.”
Candy-making has been in the Troyer family for 60 years, beginning with Troyer’s grandmother. Her aunts picked up the mantle, and she took over the operation. Now a variety of buckeyes, truffles, caramels and other sweet treats will adorn the shelves of the new store. Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe also will box candy all over the United States.
Hours are Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Troyer’s Sweet Shoppe can be followed on Facebook and Instagram.