Like a real-life Willy Wonka, Mike Schmitt can be found dipping marshmallows into vats of chocolate and infusing caramels with wacky flavors in the kitchen of Sweet Schmittâs Candy. Located at 422 North Main St., the local favorite was a result of Mike and his wife DeAnnâs life-long passion and curiosity.
Opened on Aug. 1, 2019, Sweet Schmittâs offers traditional candies with Mikeâs personal flair on the recipe. Mike, a Boonville, Indiana native, makes the candy bases and new recipes while DeAnn, born in Clearwater, Florida, and their two children, Savana and Logan, decorate and sell.
The Triple Kentucky Bourbon Ball, Schmittâs most popular item, alters the original with a bourbon caramel center and bourbon infused sugar on top. This recipe, along with seven other truffles, flavorful caramels, a make-your-own caramel apple bar, and Modjeskas (caramel-wrapped marshmallows), utilize other local brands, such as espresso beans from Proper Coffee and bourbon from Green River Distillery, as much as possible.
âIf the community is successful, weâre successful,â says Mike. âWe always wanted this spot because we live in this area and wanted to help facilitate the rebuild.â
Originally an Etsy shop, Sweet Schmittâs journey to a retail location didnât take place overnight. The Schmittâs began renting a commercial kitchen space from Darla Smith at the Daily Bakery in January 2019.
After Smithâs untimely passing, the bakery closed, stopping Sweet Schmittâs production in its tracks until renovations on the store were complete. More than a year later, with online sales doubled from previous years, itâs hard to think of anything but success when browsing Schmittâs delectable display cases.
âWe wanted to do it in baby steps and get the name out there,â says Mike. âIâm not a professional chef, I never went to school, so the recipes come from help from above.â