Rural businesses thrive with deep family roots.
Tucked between Reno and Carson City and nestled next to the Carson Range, Washoe Valley has a rich history of railroads, mining barons, and chocolate fudge.
Yep, you read that right. Fudge. Oh, and sourdough cookies are working their way onto the list.
A Valley Treasure
Since 1983, Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory has been a bright beacon on the west side of Washoe Valley. Established by Dan and Caroline Salzwimmer, the company sells chocolates and candies made from the finest ingredients.
The log cabin in which they lived at the time is now the main retail space where a 30-foot statue of a miner overlooks the parking lot. The company’s second location, in Mound House, contains the candy factory and additional retail space.
When the Washoe Valley store was first inspected by the health department in the 1980s, the inspector told the family that its business would not make it.
“The same health inspector, who is now retired, still comes into the store, and he’s so proud,” says Eddie Feriance, the current owner and son of the original candymakers.
Feriance grew up in Washoe Valley and has remained true to the original recipes created by his parents and his grandfather. All the chocolate, candy, marshmallow, caramel, and other treats are made from scratch using real cream, butter, and sugar. The nuts come fresh from California.
“I know it’s trendy now to go local, but we’ve always been like that,” Feriance says.
Chocolate Nugget’s popular offerings are the various types of crispy peanut brittle and the homemade fudge. The store also sells caramel apples, saltwater taffy, fresh popcorn, ice cream, and fist-sized “Irish Potatoes” made with white chocolate and whipped cream and rolled in cinnamon and cocoa. Feriance’s favorite candy is the peanut butter patty.
Samples always are offered to customers who come through the front door. Try the bright-green, zesty jalapeño brittle.
Tradition Meets Flexibility
Chocolate Nugget offers a few best-selling items on its website and recently embarked on a wholesale partnership with Champagne & Chocolate Co. in South Lake Tahoe, making it the only other business selling Chocolate Nugget products.
Other than that, the company controls its candy recipes and has never really ventured into wholesale.
However, the original logo and packaging have just received a little makeover.
“But we are not changing the store or the product because this is who we are. It’s very Washoe Valley,” Feriance says. “I have customers who visit and say, ‘I came here when I was seven years old and now I’m 48.’”
In the summer, the store is slammed with both longtime locals and new visitors driving through the valley. The log cabin — with its shaded porch, the giant miner, hopscotch game painted on the floor, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory playing on the TV — adds to the experience.
“We are selling something that’s fun,” Feriance says. “I also own an insurance company, and people reluctantly come in because they need insurance. When people come in here, they are giggling and laughing.”
Baked-In Talent
When you’re driving through Bishop, Calif., it is practically mandatory to stop at Erick Schat’s Bakkery for sheepherder bread or cinnamon loaves. An extension of this family of bakers is now serving customers in Washoe Valley. Just look for the little blue and orange coffee cart.
Anneke Schat is the youngest daughter of Erick Schat himself, and the bakery business is in her blood. Her mother, Shea, owns Shea Schat’s Bakery in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and Anneke’s oldest brother, Paul, owns Paul Schat’s Bakery in Carson City and Schat’s Bakery & Restaurant in Minden.
When Anneke, her husband, Luke, and their two children moved to Washoe Valley from Bishop, there was no nearby place to get pastries or custom coffee drinks. Her mother offered her a former food truck built on a trailer, and Anneke refurbished it and created Anneke Schat’s Coffee and Pastry. The cart is a popular spot for valley locals (some who visit astride horses or ATVs) and visitors from Reno and Carson City.
Life in the Slower Lane
“We like small-town living; everybody has a little more room and everyone has animals,” Anneke says. “The city can get a little overwhelming, and people can get disconnected from each other. We just like the rural lifestyle and the freedom of living in the country with the city very close.”
Anneke’s cart is situated in a parking lot at the corner of Esmeralda Drive and Eastlake Boulevard on the east side of Washoe Valley. The lot quickly becomes a small party when the locals stand in line for goodies.
Every morning that her business is open, Anneke drives to her brother’s Carson City bakery to pick up fresh pastries. All the coffee and espresso beans for her drinks come from Glory Cloud Coffee Roasters in Sparks.
“I like to get really creative with the espresso menu, with different flavors and holiday items, and just bring in some different flavors that people might not be used to,” she says.
Anneke served tiramisu and s’mores lattes last winter and cherry blossom lattes in the spring. One of her best sellers is the organic golden turmeric ginger latte. She also offers a children’s menu with Italian sodas and smoothies and periodically sells local honey from Great Basin Mycology, also located in the valley.
As for pastries, the bear claw and almond croissants with the fresh almond paste are popular choices and get snapped up quickly.
“As soon as I run out, I always feel so terrible because I have people coming all the way from Sparks to try a bear claw,” Anneke says.
The chocolate croissants and fresh fruit croissants are made with homemade chocolate and custard. For a savory snack, the ham-and-cheese croissant is a must-have.
“Paul takes a lot of time to make sure the ingredients in the pastries are on the higher end and sustainable,” she adds.
Community Hotspot
Her husband, Luke, also gets involved with his sourdough-making skills. Sourdough Saturday is a customer favorite — when the couple sells fresh sourdough bread and cookies such as ginger doodles and cornbread sourdough.
New to the menu are sandwiches made with fresh bread from the bakery. Anneke also is excited to use fresh produce from Washoe Valley farms for the sandwiches.
“Since I own the cart, I can make sure that every single customer who comes through has a really great, personal experience,” she says. “The most important thing is not only are you getting a fresh, beautifully made product that was brought there for you, but the drinks are custom made and fresh for you from a local roaster.”
Anneke says it’s the locals who make her job a joy — even when the wind blows or snow piles up and being outside is a challenge.
“We love being part of the community and knowing the locals by name,” she says. “When you are so used to seeing Schat’s from Bishop or Mammoth or Carson and you come to Washoe, people find it refreshing. We are out in nature in the beautiful valley. It’s a really cool experience. It doesn’t even feel like I’m working.”
RESOURCES
Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory
611 Hwy. 395, New Washoe City • 775-246-5500 • Chocolatenuggetcandyfactory.com
Anneke Schat’s Coffee and Pastry
3265 Eastlake Blvd., New Washoe City • Find Anneke_schatscart on Instagram.
