Crawling for cocoa
ZELIENOPLE — Frigid winds and temperatures in the high 20s set a fitting atmosphere for the Zelienople Cocoa Crawl on Saturday, Feb. 1.
People of all ages hopped from business to business along Zelienople’s Main Street from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., while stores participating in the second annual crawl gave out free hot cocoa.
Not only did the Cocoa Crawl offer an opportunity for fun for those participating in it, but businesses along Zelienople’s Main Street also enjoyed seeing the crowds of people. The increase in foot traffic brought in welcome business.
“I think the greatest thing about this is that any given Saturday, you can look outside and maybe see a handful of people,” Spencer Mathew, whose family owns Mathew Jewelers, said. “But when we do these little events going on in town, it brings in hundreds, sometimes even thousands of people.
“A crowded main street is better than a dead main street.”
The event was made up of restaurants, boutiques and other Zelienople businesses between Grandview Avenue and Beaver Street.
The event helped to get people into businesses on Main Street.
“With how much work the borough has done to revitalize Zelienople, and bring in new businesses, I think it’s great to showcase our nice little town,” Mathew said.
Each business created its own specialty hot cocoa. Mathew Jewelers served “golden bliss,” a homemade brew consisting of chocolate morsels melted down with milk and vanilla. The Little Green Bookstore had a Harry Potter-style Butterbeer hot chocolate made with caramel and butterscotch. Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar made hot cocoa spiked with wine.
“It’s all about the community and the families,” Deb Tallerico, whose family owns Papa Joe’s Wine Cellar, said. “We just opened this past November. It’s a good way to show people our business, but it’s all about the community and the families.”
Even for businesses such as Pappy’s Family BBQ, a recent addition to Main Street, the sense of community is highlighted by events such as the Cocoa Crawl.
“I think being part of the community, with all of these stores around here, everybody helps each other,” Krista Davis, a worker at Pappy’s, said. “And it’s a good way to get people out to see the new businesses coming in. It brings new people in who haven’t seen us or knew we were here.”
Kat Nardini, owner of Modern Alchemy House of Crystals, said one of her favorite parts of the Cocoa Crawl is meeting new people and introducing herself and her shop to them. She said some people don’t “realize how many stores are down here.”
“My favorite part is seeing a lot of new faces,” Nardini said. “We meet a lot of new people this way. But we’re also able to serve and give back to the community a little bit. It’s something to look forward to.”
