PENNSYLVANIA, USA — The inside of Nibbles and Bits in Dunmore is filled with the most ghoulish delights. Their holiday treats range from a cake pop cauldron to a chocolate-covered Frankenstein homemade marshmallow. Jason Pozniak, the general manager, says they try to have something for everyone this holiday season.
"We do scary characters, but we try to make them fun when they come in," said Pozniak.
The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend more than $3.5 billion on tasty treats this Halloween.
"We definitely see a lot of chocolate going out the door this time of year," said Pozniak.
But, in our area, candy is more than just a holiday staple. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton region ranks number four on the country's list of so-called Candy Capitals.
The ranking comes from Upgraded Points, a travel website. It looked at data that combines employment, payroll, candy producers, and retail stores compared to the national average.
The Wilkes-Barre Scranton region has three times the average amount of candy businesses and seven times the amount of candy employment than the rest of the country. Pozniak says the candy trailblazers of the area have paved the way for local businesses.
"I'm not really surprised by that. Because we have Gertrude Hawk, that was originally based here in Dunmore. Dunmore Candy Kitchen that's been around for a long time. We've been doing chocolate now for a few years," said the Pozniak.
Since 1985, to be exact, but in just the past few years, Nibbles and Bits has grown into its new location off Blakely Street in Dunmore.
"We wouldn't be able to be doing what we're doing what we're doing without our customer base. And they have sort've grown with us too," he added.
Pozniak says it's all about sharing their sweet tooth with the region that continues to eat it up.
"We take pride in our work. It is a little bit more time-consuming to make some of the items that we make. But we like it because it's a little bit different."
As they get ready, ring in the spookiest of seasons in the sweetest way possible.