We are so excited to announce that a new sweet shop will be coming to Downtown Cranford in the next few months! Please join us in welcoming Carmela’s Sweet Shoppe, located at 11 Walnut Avenue. Owner Rosie Caramella-Smith grew up in a food-loving family and it wasn’t long before she discovered a special gift for creating delicious and incredible candy and chocolates. Rosie started off as self-taught, and then began taking classes to further her education.

After she mastered candy apples, Rosie turned her attention to perfecting caramel apples. As she puts it, “Our caramel is butter based and melts in your mouth. To date, we have over 20 variations of caramel apples and our best seller is the s’mores apple.”

Rosie had been searching for a storefront for quite some time when her friend Amanda, the owner of Lily & Sparrow, mentioned availability at 11 Walnut Avenue. “Cranford is truly a small business friendly town,” said Rosie. “We were welcomed with open arms from the very beginning and couldn’t have picked a better place for our first store. A storefront allows us to bring happiness to so many customers. One of the most fulfilling parts of attending chocolate expos is when customers tell us they’ve traveled from far and wide to taste our apples.”

When Carmela’s Sweet Shoppe opens later this year, customers can look forward to a mouthwatering selection of treats—ranging from caramel and hard candy apples to sea salt caramels, fluffernutters, peanut butter cups, chocolate-dipped delights, and family candy recipes inspired by their Peruvian and Sicilian roots. Rosie will also offer custom desserts and platters, including chocolate pretzel platters, candy bouquets, and more.

Rosie and her husband Aaron have already been hard at work getting the space ready. “We cannot wait to bring the vibe of a sweet experience of tastes, and history to everyone here,” said Rosie. Stay tuned to the Downtown Cranford page for updates on when Carmela’s Sweet Shoppe will be opening its doors!