kids in a candy store, happy and laughing and I had to pursue it.” At All Things Chocolate & More it was love at first sight. She asked the owners to “take a leap of faith” with her and they did, agreeing to finance a large part of the asking price for seven years. Initially it was difficult. “I put in very long hours, working in the shop from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day, seven days a week. “Every single day I was at the store,” she says. “I have eased up a bit on the long hours. I am still at the store pretty much every day, but it is a team effort. There is now a larger team that allows her to focus on growing and expanding in new areas such as Rincon.
SARA LOPEZ-SMITH: All Things Chocolate & More
S
ara Lopez-Smith inspires those around her with her positive outlook, incredible work ethic, and zest for new experiences. Her story has many chapters and is far from done, in fact in some ways she is just getting started! Originally from Guacara, a small and colorful town in Venezuela, Sara says, “I grew up around a big family and surrounded by the mountains and the very blue Caribbean Sea.” She also pictured herself living in a country where she could play in the snow, see skyscrapers, smell the aroma of new foods, and learn about other cultures. She was determined to “dream the American dream and make it mine,” she says. Sara came to the USA in 1995 with her two young daughters, $32 dollars and “the goal to be part of this amazing country and grow as someone without barriers, taking
fear by the hand until it became just a good friend to me,” she says. In many ways it is clear Sara has achieved that goal. Life provided many opportunities to travel and live throughout the United States where she, her daughters and son, were able to play in the snow of North Carolina and see the skyscrapers of Atlanta. It was a serendipitous opportunity which allowed Sara to explore the opportunities in Savannah. Sara was on the path to opening her own insurance agency in Atlanta before fate, and a Facebook post headlined “Get Yourself a Sweet Deal,” about a chocolate shop in Richmond Hill, changed everything. Sweet Savannah When asked why she wanted to own a candy store she says, “I had a vision of
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Delectable Goodness “I eat chocolate every day. My favorite are pecan delights, which is like a pecan pie but better. For savory I love my Jalapeno Chicken salad, I could eat it every day!” says Sara. She is justifiably proud of the ingredients used in her food and the richness of her chocolate. “Chocolate is the food of the Gods. Chocolate comes from tropical places like I do but it adapts to new flavors and temperatures like I do. I guess I am what I eat!” You can find chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate, rum balls, cheesecakes, white chocolate lemon cake bar, layered parfaits, French Toast rolls filled with vanilla crème, as well as the entire range of traditional chocolates and pastries. The cannoli are so popular, Sara says they are the ‘backbone’ of the pastry case. They also have an in-house professional cake decorator, Jeniffer Santana, who can create gorgeous cakes for any occasion. The cafe’s crepes are a big customer favorite as are the avocado toast, the chicken-bacon avocado wrap, quesadillas, soups, sandwiches, breakfast paninis, Buffalo chicken pinwheels and the Jalapeno chicken salad. “All Things Chocolate & More is MORE!” says Sara, “It’s a place to visit for the food and the experience. Drop by for a coffee, some lunch, and sweet treat!” Life Today Sara, ”I love life. I cry hard and I laugh harder. I live to be the best I can be. From every mistake I make, I take that as a lesson. I move on so I can experience what life has to offer me because I will adapt to that too.”
