Mindy Mosca discovered the sweet side of life over twenty years ago in her own kitchen. “I started making chocolate-covered treats as a hobby out of my home,” she says. “It was always something I liked to do—making gifts for friends or school functions. When we moved to Old Tappan from Fort Lee, I met many new people doing house parties.” Her business established credibility throughout the Pascack Valley community and eventually, with encouragement from her husband, Harry, Mindy established a catalog, website, and retail store in 2006. She moved to her current location at 215 Rivervale Road in River Vale several years later.
“She comes up with delicious combinations which have become extremely popular. Her Marshmallow Mountain, Coconut Bliss, Cookie Butter Cups, and French Toast clusters are amazing,” says Harry.
“Word-of-mouth advertising is great in this community,” says Mindy. “I have many corporate clients who have stayed with me for a long time, which is awesome. But I love being in the store and seeing my customers who keep coming back over the years. Many of them bought my products when I was just starting out. I remember their kids being small, and now they ship my products to those same kids in college!”
Mindy and her family have put in the effort—building the business on hard work and a bit of luck. “I had the opportunity to be on QVC for many years which helped me reach markets around the country,” she says. “I just shipped an order to Texas today.” Mindy has appeared on ABC 7's “Neighborhood Eats” with Lauren Glassberg, which spurned on the development of a crowd favorite, the Marshmallow Mountain, a mouthwatering combination of chocolate-covered fluffy marshmallow, buttery caramel, and toffee.
“Being on television for three minutes in the tri-state area was incredible. Our website crashed with the number of orders that came in,” says Mindy. “They wanted me to feature something new, so I came up with the Marshmallow Mountain.” ABC News journalist Nina Pineda visited the shop for a Valentine’s Day segment several years ago, and Mindy’s Munchies also had the honor of being highlighted as Rachel Ray’s “Snack of the Day.”
Mindy has a talent for developing delicious combinations of chocolate-covered treats that make her goodies stand out from the others. “I want to create things that you can only get at Mindy’s Munchies, so I experiment with many fun combinations,” she says. “However, I also know it’s important to balance the new items with traditional, well-loved favorites like chocolate-covered pretzels and peanut butter cups. People are loyal to what they love.”
The business has become a part of the family. Mindy’s husband worked in corporate America for over 25 years and decided to join her five years ago. “It was a quality-of-life decision,” says Mindy. “He wanted to help the business grow, and we wanted to do it together. My sons have been working here since they were little because it’s important to develop a strong work ethic. Now when they come home from college, it’s right to work!”
Mindy was able to open a second location at 8182 Glades Road in Boca Raton, Florida thanks to her niece, Samantha, whose lifelong dream was to work in the chocolate shop. She was eager to jump in and run Mindy’s second store immediately after finishing college. “I made sure she spent the craziness of a holiday season with us before allowing her to get involved,” says Mindy. “She had to be truly ready to take it all on!”
Valentine’s Day specialties are the ever-popular chocolate-covered pretzels and delicious chocolate-covered strawberries donned with wonderful drizzles and toppings. The store sells chocolate combination platters of all sizes, adorably packaged for any occasion or season, thanks to Mindy’s branding expertise. If your Valentine lives far away, don’t worry—they ship all over the country. Mindy and her team also host children’s birthday parties at the store.
“This is a feel-good place, and I want people to get a happy vibe when they walk through the door,” she says.
mindysmunchies.com
Pull Quote: "Her Marshmallow Mountain, Coconut Bliss, Cookie Butter Cups, and French Toast clusters are amazing."
Pull Quote: “…I love being in the store, and seeing my customers who keep coming back over the years."