Lisa Giacobetti
Though she had acquired ample home-based experience making goodies for friends and had come to conclude that her creations could captivate the masses, Lisa Giacobetti confessed that the thought of running her own spot did not initially fill her with unwavering ease. Calling upon the credo of her late father, Ash Ranno, who liked to say “You’re never going to know unless you try,” the Marlton resident has let conviction counter qualms as the main face behind Sweet Memories Chocolates, 951 E. Passyunk Ave.
“I almost didn’t pull the trigger,” the 46-year-old said from her 16-month-old Bella Vista establishment. “I was equally scared and excited, but if you’re going to dance, you had better do so for the whole song, so I chose to believe in this dream.”
The New Jersey inhabitant and West Passyunk native had already taken on the role of proprietor through Frissy Sissys, an embellished custom flip flop company, the fruits of which are available at her local brainchild. The boutique, which finds her specializing in chocolate-covered snacks, also peddles confections, candies, and the supplies to make them and reaffirms each day the benefits of taking risks.
“I wanted to go after this goal because I knew I desired something more out of life,” Giacobetti, previously a stay-at-home mom and a hairdresser, said of taking root in South Philly, where she resided for the first five years of her life. “Now that we’re here, I’m having fun every day, and I absolutely love what I’m doing.”
She and three family members, who, through their website, dub themselves “master creators of the most fabulous looking and deliciously scrumptious chocolates and treats anywhere in the area,” have won regard through instructional classes and tireless willingness to please, a quality that has landed them an opportunity to shine this weekend for Susan G. Komen. Thrilled to welcome every customer and to tend to each order and request, Giacobetti still considers herself immensely fortunate to be a recipient of such attention, including outreach from this publication, electing to share with readers the location’s recipe for Oreo Truffles.
“They’re a big part of what makes being here so pleasant,” the overseer said of the diminutive delights. “They are really good and simple to duplicate, so I think people will have a really good time making them.”
Ingredients:
40 Oreos, crushed
An 8-ounce block of cream cheese
Chocolate of your choice
Directions:
Cream the cookies and the block of cream cheese together. Make ball shapes from the output, and freeze them for 15 minutes. Dip in the chocolate of your choice, and decorate the balls to your liking. ■
Sweet Memories
Chocolates
951 E. Passyunk Ave.
Opened: June 12, 2015
Owner: Lisa Giacobetti
215–465–0169
sweetmemorieschocolates.com
Photos by Tina Garceau
