Local Woman Finding Sweet Success

By Jen Thomas - December 02, 2007

Janice Esoldi

NORTH ADAMS – For Got Goodies? owner Janice Esoldi, preparing for the holiday season is a family affair.

"Growing up, I was always made homemade crafts and chocolates, gift baskets and stuff, for my sisters. It was just my thing," Esoldi said at her new candy counter inside Moulton's General Store on Main Street.

Esoldi decided to open her own small business when she moved to the city earlier this year from Cheshire. A former office staffer at K-M Motors, Esoldi had been selling her delectable treats wholesale to local businesses – including Where'd You Get That? in Williamstown and Sarah's Cheesecake and Cafe in Pittsfield - for more than a year.

"I'd been hemming and hawing for awhile that I wanted to go into business for myself so, a week before the Fall Foliage parade, a jumped in," she said.

Co-owned by her sister, Catherine Moulton, the landmark Main Street store made the perfect home for Esoldi's line of homemade chocolates.

"It's a really good setup for both of us. She gets a spot to be in the public eye and from my end, it's a nice addition for the general store," said Moulton.

"And I get to work with my family," Esoldi added.

With everything from peanut butter cups and bonbons to chocolate-covered pretzels and gourmet apples, Got Goodies? can satisfy a sweet tooth but the shop is more than just a candy counter.

"I keep a wide variety out and a wide variety goes," said Esoldi, who has already baked more than 50 pounds of milk chocolate since she opened. "I like being creative and trying new things."

For the holidays, Esoldi is creating one-of-a-kind chocolate platters and gift baskets. By pushing her unique sales pitch, Esoldi hopes she can start a new trend.

"Instead of bringing wine to this year's Christmas party, why not bring a chocolate platter instead?" she asked. "Not everyone likes wine."

Though she's still making a name for herself, Esoldi said she's not worried about the success of Got Goodies?

"I'm more nervous that it's going to get too busy and I won't be able to keep up," she said.

Though operating the candy shop is a full-time job, Esoldi said she's excited about the possibility of eventual expansion.

"I hope the store will grown and expand. Maybe I'll have my own store," she said. "Right now, though, I'm content right where I am."