Business & Tech

'Imagine Candy' Offers Sweet Selections for All Ages, Customers

Harwood Court's latest addition boasts artisan Belgian chocolates, in-store parties and a budding corporate clientele.

A Scarsdale woman, clad in yoga pants and a puffy parka, drifted into Imagine Candy one Monday afternoon two weeks before Christmas. She had been walking down Harwood Court, and the store's sleek white shelves, lined with eye-popping artisan chocolate baskets and bright candy jars, had beckoned. 

As co-owner Donna Halperin wrapped the customer's purchases in tissue and ribbon, they chattered about the store's custom gift baskets and plump chocolate Santas. 

"When I first stopped in here a few weeks ago, I was so excited," the woman said. "These are the Christmas gifts I'm going to give everyone — the teachers' gifts, the office staff, the tutor, the violin teacher. I mean, how many more cute mugs can I buy?"  

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If she stocks up on Imagine Candy's gourmet hot chocolate, plenty. 

A plethora of bakeries and chocolatieres have popped up around Scarsdale throughout the past six months. A mere seven weeks old, Imagine Candy is the latest to open its doors to the public. 

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"We were looking for a town where there was a personality. That certainly exists here," said Halperin, who searched for potential store locations across Westchester County with co-owner Bill Vogel before settling in the heart of Scarsdale's business district. "It's a lovely town, and everyone's really involved in the community. It met all our criteria." 

Imagine Candy peddles myriad sweets for a variety of occasions, ages and customers. Large, cylindrical jars crammed with penny candy are tailor-made for sticky-mouthed 10-year-olds hosting in-store birthday parties. Yet the store's zen aesthetic — white walls, clean lines — along with offerings including wine-flavored morsels and java-infused chocolates, are equally appropriate for corporate clients and black-tie dinner affairs. 

"Initially, we were just going to do a retro candy store," Halperin said. "But we decided to offer chocolate, and now chocolate makes up 35-40 percent of our business. Whenever we give a sample out to customers, they come back because the quality is amazing." 

Imagine Candy boasts artisan Belgian chocolates produced by a third-generation chocolatier in Brooklyn. Halperin and Vogel also carry unique items from small candy vendors across the country, such as the New Jersey-based "2 Chicks with Chocolate" and "Torn Ranch," whose products feature Californian dried fruits and nuts. 

"When it comes to our boxed goods, we carry products that very few people — if any — in New York State will have," Vogel said. 

For speciality holiday items, Halperin and Vogel didn't have to travel further than their own backyard.

"We found a woman who makes chocolate in Scarsdale," Vogel said. "Before Thanksgiving, she said to me, 'Are you going to sell my chocolate turkeys?'" 

Initially, Vogel resisted her request. But her persistence caused him to yield and prop a sign in the window calling for customers to pre-order their turkey in a variety of molds ranging from small to centerpiece-size. 

The turkeys were a surprise success. "She won the battle," Vogel said. "I ordered from her five times." 

For the Christmas and Hanukkah season, Imagine Candy is carrying chocolate santas, christmas trees, menorahs, and even a succulent Santa boot. But non-chocolate lovers and health-conscious customers need not fear. Vogel and Halperin have ensured that they, too, can sate their sweet tooth. 

Ideal non-chocolate stocking stuffers for customers craving gummis, suckers and mouth-melting sugar goods are homemade hard candies from New York City-based Papabubble. Sugar-free options include candy bars by Valor, and several in-store brands use 100 percent organic ingredients in their products. 

"We try to carry something for everyone at a wide range of prices," Halperin said.

Halperin and Vogel, who recently entered the chocolate industry, arrived in the field with prepped palates. Vogel was involved in wine retail and wholesale for over 20 years. As for Halperin, she had come from the digital media sphere, where she'd regularly treat clients and co-workers to her favorite high-end goodies.   

The two hope to build their customer base through selling hard-to-locate items (lavender, rosemary and lemon zest chocolates being a few), offering custom packages and gift packs and extending December store hours to seven days a week. 

But Halperin and Vogel, who split their time between Riverdale and Larchmont, also hope to firmly ensconce Imagine Candy in the Scarsdale community by inviting residents to participate in art contests and in-store candy- decorating soirees. 

"Candy Arts," a special, in-store painting contest, calls for individuals from all age groups to submit an 8 x 10 painting of any type of candy. Imagine Candy supplies the canvas, and a judging committee selects 25 works quarterly to display on store walls, feature online and award with a $25 gift certificate. 

A similar artistic sentiment is echoed in Imagine Candy's in-store parties. Bachelorettes and Bat Mitzvah celebrants alike decorate chocolates with candies, jelly beans and a sugar adhesive as the store's sound system blares a mix that, upon request, can include artists ranging from Bob Dylan to Beyonce and Justin Bieber. A pizza is brought out, and guests end their night by extending their sugar buzz — candy-filled gift bags are handed to each stuffed and satisifed customer before they leave. 

Halperin and Vogel hope to use Imagine Candy as the prototype for a future chain of candy stores. "Hopefully, someday we'll be expanding. But we want this to be the model for that expansion. Right now we're doing things that we think we'd embrace as customers," Halperin said. 

is located on 22 Harwood Court. Business hours are Mon.-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. General services are catering, delivery and take-out. Call 914-723-7887 for more information. 

 


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