Cuba, MO "Rt. 66 Mural City" WEDNESDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2007

The streets around the post office may soon be filled with the sweet smell of chocolate and, if Marcia Wilson has her wishes, the smell of success.

With little fanfare, Wilson opened the Rt. 66 Fudge Shop next to the post office at 705 W. Washington on the first Saturday of December.

"We chose to go ahead and open, because I have many clients that had been patiently waiting for me to open so that they could see my full line of holiday selections and chocolates, and I did not want to make them wait any longer," Wilson said.

Lori Bailey purchases some sweet treats from Marcia Wilson at the Route 66 Fudge Shop.

She credits her mother and grandmother for great dessert recipes and for teaching her how to make delicious, old-fashioned fudge. She always made it for friends and family, especially around Christmas and Easter.

"This inspired me to list it on eBay to see how it would sell, and it took right off," stated Wilson. "I have always been a chocoholic and always teased that I wanted to be a chocolatier."

She started making other favorite candies and selling them online. With over 300 chocolate molds, Wilson can supply her clients with a wide array of candy shapes, and she is willing to look for specialized molds for custom orders. She also prepares attractive gift boxes and baskets.

Her list of offerings is extensive and tantalizing: chocolate mocha, chocolate pecan, caramel, truffles, the list goes on and on. "I love the challenge of making perfect, decadent candy that tastes great and looks beautiful too. I feel this allows me to use my talents because it is creative, challenging, and quite rewarding. I am always looking for a new candy challenge," Wilson remarked.

Inspired by her success on eBay, she was able to use some of her college technology skills to build her own website that generated even more orders. From eBay sales and her website, interested corporations were able to sample her candy and read the feedback from other online clients. Wilson was contacted by some of them to make custom chocolate products to sell under their private label, the details of which she cannot divulge to the public.

With the steady orders from corporate clients and her other orders from individuals, Wilson outgrew her home kitchen, and she had to consider alternatives.

"I needed a bigger kitchen and a bigger work area," she explained.

Wilson chose the building next to the post office for her storefront.

"My mom and dad owned a liquor store in this building in the 70s, and I thought it would be really neat to have the building for two reasons: one for nostalgia, and the second for the ease and convenience to the post office." Wilson often ships 50 to 100 orders a month, depending on the time of year.

Wilson and her husband have remodeled the building’s interior and hope to continue to improve on it and give the outside a look that is in keeping with the historical district. She would also like to have a mural painted on an inside wall of her shop.

Wilson’s son Philip and future daughter-in-law Alicia Walker will be helping out in the shop, and she looks forward to once again running a family business along Rt. 66.

Rt. 66 Fudge Shop has a strong foundation for success. Wilson teems with future plans for her business. She wants to add to her extensive product line, do more private label work, and wholesale her chocolates to stores. She is also implementing a system that will allow her to scan pictures and print them onto a sheet that she can transfer onto chocolate.

"I am quite excited about this process and its creativeness," Wilson stated. "In January I will be introducing my new Rt. 66 Candy Bar. This will be my signature bar to go with my signature Rt. 66 Fudge."

Recently, while Wilson was baking in her new shop, a man came to the back door and said, "Lady, it sure smells good in here." That is an aroma that Cuba will share as Wilson fulfills her dream of being a businesswoman and chocolatier.

For more about Rt. 66 Fudge Shop offerings, visit www.route66fudgeshop.com. You can e-mail Wilson at candyldy@fidmail.com. December hours will be Monday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.