At Emile's Candies in Oceanside, life is like a box of chocolates for owner Jackie Brown

Six years ago, Jackie Brown realized a longtime dream: to own Emile’s Candies in Oceanside.

“It was a special place coming to Emile’s when I was a kid,” said Brown, who grew up in Baldwin. And with Valentine’s Day coming soon, she fondly remembers the holiday chocolates her father bought at the store for her.

These days, Valentine’s Day means hitting the ground running with an assortment of chocolates and hearts of all sizes, from 2 ounces to 7 pounds. “We try to fulfill every customer’s sweet tooth,” Brown said.

Among customers’ Valentine's favorites are hearts filled with smooth caramel, cherry cordials and chocolate-covered strawberries.

The shop, which was started by Emile Wagenknecht  and his wife, Josephine, in 1953, was subsequently owned by their son, Robert, who sold it in 1994 to Patrick Quinn, a longtime employee. 

In February 2017, upon learning Quinn was interested in selling the business, Brown, in anticipation of purchasing it, went to the store about six times to learn the machinery, the cooking processes and other operations. For Quinn, Brown's presence was about seeing whether she had a passion for the operation and was a good fit, she said.

In April 2017, Quinn died. Seven months later, Brown and her husband, Michael, a building contractor, purchased Emile’s from his estate, including the equipment and recipes. (Brown’s husband has no role in the shop beyond providing “background support,” she said.)

“When I bought the business, I was naive about what it entailed, but I was excited,” Brown, 57, said. She  spoke to Newsday about her confectionary business. Answers have been edited for space.

How did you manage at the start without Quinn's guidance?

Theodore Bermudes, the chef who Patrick had hired, stayed on for the first three years to help us navigate machines, and I met with Robert  Wagenknecht, a past owner, for eight hours. Anytime I had a question, Robert [who has just died] was great and enthusiastic in sharing his knowledge with me.

We also had a skeletal staff — with Henrietta Cuomo, who had worked with Robert, and Carol Chalavoutis, who Patrick had hired, and they helped me a lot, including about selling to customers and packing.

Before Emile’s, what was your chocolate business experience?

While going to the Fashion Institute of Technology, I was working in sales at Teuscher of Switzerland [a high-end Swiss chocolatier] in Rockefeller Center.

How did you fund the business’ purchase?

Through bank financing and self-financing.

What are the advantages to buying a longtime business?

You don’t have to start from scratch, and it already has a name that everyone knows.

The challenges?

Having your vision merge with what the business was and is.

How does Emile’s reflect your vision today?

We’ve made improvements and changes, including adding new flavors and items. We’ve always had French truffles, but now we have milk and dark chocolate and berry truffles.

And we’ve upgraded the building, with a mural of Emile’s Candies logo outside, and we changed the cases and put in a new floor. We’ve also bought new machinery, which has helped produce more products in one day.

What’s the year-round bestselling confection?

Instead of a number one seller, we have a top 10 list, which includes, in no special order, chocolate-covered caramels, marshmallows, truffles, butter crunch, jellies and cherry cordials, as well as chocolate-dipped fruit.

How many different candies do you make from scratch?

We handcraft 110, which includes milk and dark chocolate varieties, with our own caramel, marshmallow, jelly and cream centers, which distinguish us from other chocolatiers.

Prices?

We charge by weight because when it gets busy, it would be so hard to start adding up individual pieces. Our price is $38 a pound, with most people buying a half-pound or pound of chocolates. Single pieces can range from 90 cents to $1.50, depending on the weight.

We have a molded Easter bunny we call Henrietta, which is milk chocolate, 3½ feet tall and more than $200. 

How have you handled product and ingredient shortages?

Before COVID, jelly beans weren’t available, so we worked through it by having a nephew bring them down from Binghamton after we called our suppliers who told us where there were still cases to buy.

Then after COVID, there was a chocolate shortage because everything had shut down and been closed for months. Because we make small batches of chocolates, we were able to make it through.

But prices go up and don’t come down — and chocolate is now 9% above last year’s prices. So, if there’s a shortage, I try to buy more from my suppliers than I need to in order to stay ahead. Our products are a luxury, but we want to keep them affordable.

What’s the busiest day?

Valentine’s Day, but Easter brings in steady business right after Valentine’s Day and represents 30% of annual sales because of the bunnies.

What’s the best part of owning Emile’s?

The people that tell us how happy they are that we’re still here and that they love the product, are happy with the service and that the store looks great.

Is owning Emile’s what you dreamed it would be?

Dreams can be great or a nightmare, but generally it’s a good dream every day.