MAKING ARRANGEMENTS: How Syracuse’s chocolate, flower shops set the mood for Valentine’s Day
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chocolate aroma lingers on Walton Street, emanating from local candy shop Sweet on Chocolate. Every February, stacks of heart-shaped gift boxes welcome shoppers into the store. But the process to set up starts in December.
“What getting ready for Valentine’s Day looks like to us is basically just right after Christmas,” said Sweet on Chocolate owner and head chocolatier Adam Mazzoni. “We devise a game plan for the busy few days leading up to the 14th and the weekend after it. We start coming up with numbers and thinking – How much of this do we have to make? How much of that do we have to make?”
While Syracusans feel the love, the process of local businesses sharing it is a difficult feat. By the beginning of the month, local stores begin to promote Valentine’s Day in-store and on their websites, but the preparatory work starts months prior.
Michael Speach, owner of Speach Family Candy Shoppe, said he and his staff work to produce their popular heart-shaped chocolates and restock products that have sold out after the winter holiday season. Preparation for Valentine’s Day primarily revolves around ensuring there are enough boxes, ribbons and labels, Speach said.
At both Sweet on Chocolate and Speach Family Candy Shoppe, timing for attaining other perishable resources is an important factor in gearing up for the holiday.
Cassandra Roshu | Photo Editor
Dino Centra and Courtney Rapp (left to right) prepare as Westcott Florist receives Valentine’s Day orders. Dino Centra owned the shop until August 2023, then passed it onto Rapp who had been an employee for several years.
“We start preparing ahead for anything that’s going to last,” Mazzoni said. “We never want the chocolate to taste or look old, so we prioritize the more last minute goods, like fresh fruits, strawberries, raspberries.”
Similarly, Speach said their store’s biggest sellers are chocolate strawberries. Strawberries and other produce typically have a quicker turnaround during production, so the Speach staff ensures the local, family-owned produce company they work with knows exactly what is expected.
Much like Syracuse’s chocolatiers, florists in the city must work strategically and efficiently. Westcott Florist owner Courtney Rapp said preparation for Valentine’s Day starts at the end of January and all the store’s staff plan to work seven days a week. During the beginning of the process, the team starts by trimming stems and carefully removing thorns on roses.
“We have seven coolers in our shop, one upstairs, two in our basement and then four on the main floor,” Rapp said. “So we keep our flowers there to preserve their life.”
In the third week of January, St. Agnes Florist’s staff start greening, the process of putting greens in vases that become a sturdy and hardy part of the arrangement, according to District Manager of Allen Floral Group Hannah Cecile. Allen Floral Group is a central New York creative florist company that currently owns six florist locations, including St. Agnes Florist.
Joe Zhao | Assistant Photo Editor
Sweet on Chocolate Caption: Adam Mazzoni, owner of Sweet on Chocolate, and employers package boxes with truffles of the customers’ choosing. The store made special treats, like chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries, for their Valentine’s Day sale.
“We do go back through and spray the greens twice a week with a special product that holds the moisture within the stems,” Cecile said. “Then we switch out the water every couple of days just so that they stay fresh, even once the holiday rolls around.”
As Valentine’s Day orders, both in-store and online, begin to roll in, shop owners take note of their most requested products. While Sweet on Chocolate is known for their assortment of elegant, well-crafted truffles, the shop also offers seasonal flavors that rotate throughout the year, Mazzoni said.
Currently, there are Valentine’s Day-themed flavors like raspberry rose, strawberry champagne and espresso martini. The chocolatiers have also added a special hazelnut caramel truffle.
Rapp said she often notices that around the holiday, some people have more date nights, so there are in-store orders of flowers. In particular, customers ask for sunflowers, peonies and red roses around the Valentine season.
Everyone has their own type of tradition for Valentine’s Day, Speach said. To accommodate the variety of requests they receive, the store tries to offer a wide scope of options. However, to Speach, the holiday is more than just the products they sell.
“Valentine’s Day isn’t just about the traditions,” Speach said. “It’s about something that other people enjoy.”
