Sweet Treats at Romolo Chocolates

By Steve Siwiecki

Romolo Chocolates. 1525 W 8th St, Erie PA. Photo by Andrea Shaffer.

Looking for a sweet treat? Go no further than Romolo Chocolates. I had the opportunity to talk with owner Tony Stefanelli, chocolatier, about this longtime business. Tony's grandfather, Romolo Stefanelli (for whom Romolo's is named), immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's settling in New York City. In 1926, he and his wife Elizabeth moved to Erie and opened Stefanelli's Candies. It was from his grandfather that Tony learned the art of the chocolatier. In 1993 Stefanelli's Candies was sold outside of the family. Unable to carry on his grandfather's business then, he and his wife Jennie opened Romolo Chocolates a year later in a 3000-square-foot space on West 12th Street. In 2003 they moved the business to a 14,000-square-foot space at its current location in the Frontier Park area. After several expansions, they now occupy a 30,000-square-foot space at that location, adding the Cocoa Cafe and the Mercato Gift Shop to the site. Thanks in part to COVID, they have also expanded their shipping operations.

A family business, Tony's two sons work to carry the business into the future. His son Anthony works as a chocolatier, and his son Roman works as a cook, preparing all those delicious insides. Tony's wife, Jennie, is the chef for the cafe. She and her staff prepare a wide range of treats that are available at the cafe. In keeping with the traditions established by Romolo, they insist on using the best ingredients for both their candy and cafe products, even if they have to spend a little more. Following these traditions, a piece of Romolo candy made today will taste exactly like it did when the store first opened. In addition to baked goods, they also serve ice cream made on site at the cafe. While most ice cream made in the U.S. goes through a process that adds air to the mixture, they use a gelato machine that takes air  out, leaving more flavor in the end product.

Tony takes pride in his diverse workforce, and there is no room for intolerance. On a brief tour of the facilities, I saw a clean, well organized, and friendly work environment. So if you are looking for a sweet treat or some nice gifts, or you just want to relax with a cup of coffee at the cafe, visit Romolo Chocolates at 1525 West 8th Street from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Saturday, and 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sunday. (And save some sponge candy for me!)