Business booming for new Sweettrio owner

The new owner of Grafton chocolate shop Sweettrio, Anette Righi DeFendi, may have only taken the helm a few months ago, but she’s already put in the work.

Between the Christmas season and Valentine’s Day, she said she’s had trouble even keeping chocolates on the shelves.

“I came in at the busiest time of the year for a chocolate company,” she said.

She said the big sellers have been caramel apples, fairy food and toffee.

“I can’t keep toffee in stock for the life of me,” Righi DeFendi said. “It’s just funny. My employees say, ‘We’ve never sold this much toffee.’”

Righi DeFendi said she plans to expand the store’s retail sales — building off the store’s strong reputation and good location downtown next to Colectivo coffee shop.

“We definitely want to build out the retail side. This is a great spot in Grafton,” she said.

Righi DeFendi is from Grafton and went to Grafton High School. She said she’s met many old friends and parents of old friends while working at the counter.

“I’ve had tremendous support from the community,” she said.

Righi DeFendi said she makes almost all of Sweettrio’s chocolates herself, although she does get help from some college and high school students who mainly work the counter.

“They are awesome,” she said.

Righi DeFendi said the process of tempering chocolates — preparing them so they “snap” when bit — is skill intensive.

Tempering involves heating, cooling and then reheating the chocolates at specific temperatures and times, she said.

“Each chocolate is different,” she said. “If you have  55% chocolates from two different companies, they will be heated at different temperatures and for different times.”

Sourcing and selecting high-quality chocolate and other ingredients is half the battle, Righi DeFendi said.

She uses chocolates with higher cocoa butter percentages than most of her competitors, she said, adding there is some strategy in choosing the right kind of chocolate for each situation.

For example, a high-quality, neutral-tasting chocolate gives lots of versatility, she said.

Purchasing a chocolate is not just paying for a treat but also for the experience and creative process that went into it, Righi DeFendi said.

“Everything is handmade. Everything is hand dipped. All of the pretzels, all of the Oreos,” she said.

Righi DeFendi said chocolate prices have been skyrocketing.

The rise has been attributed to poor weather conditions and crop disease in West African countries where cocoa is grown, according to press reports.

Righi DeFendi, who said her love of chocolate even drew her to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, where she stayed at a cocoa plantation and grafted her own tree, added that she’s heard about other causes for the price increases.

She said many plantations have fallen victim to illegal mining operations that tear down trees in search of gold.

Righi DeFendi attended the French Pastry School in Chicago before working at the now-closed Thiensville chocolate shop  Get Happy.

A little while ago, she received a text message from one of her former coworkers from Get Happy who asked if Righi DeFendi knew anyone who would want to purchase Sweettrio.

Righi DeFendi responded that she didn’t know anyone but got to thinking. Pretty soon, she caved and purchased the chocolate shop.

“I love chocolatiering. It’s definitely my true passion,” she said.

Righi DeFendi said she plans to stick to tried-and-true chocolates and doesn’t plan to make fudge or sugar candies.

But, she is looking into stocking gelato.

“I want to make sure I get the good stuff,” she said.

Righi DeFendi said she does custom orders of all sizes for corporate or personal events.

“If you need caramel apples for a small birthday party and your son loves the color teal, I can make five teal apples,” she said.