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 Schmitt’s Candy. Located at 422 North Main St., the local favorite was a result of Mike and his wife DeAnn’s life-long passion and curiosity.
Opened on Aug. 1, 2019, Sweet Schmitt’s offers traditional candies with Mike’s 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, Schmitt’s 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.
“If the community is successful, we’re successful,” says Mike. “We always wanted this spot because we live in this area and wanted to help facilitate the rebuild.”
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Originally an Etsy shop, Sweet Schmitt’s journey to a retail location didn’t take place overnight. The Schmitt’s began renting a commercial kitchen space from Darla Smith at the Daily Bakery in January 2019.
After Smith’s untimely passing, the bakery closed, stopping Sweet Schmitt’s production in its tracks until renovations on the store were complete. More than a year later, with online sales doubled from previous years, it’s hard to think of anything but success when browsing Schmitt’s delectable display cases.
“We wanted to do it in baby steps and get the name out there,” says Mike. “I’m not a professional chef, I never went to school, so the recipes come from help from above.”
Sugar Rush
Sweetschmitts.com
