Looking to boost business during slow season, Zelienople shops turn to hot chocolate
ZELIENOPLE — Even after being pushed back a week because of weather, the chilly temperature Saturday, Feb. 7, was still ideal for people going from store to store on Main Street in search of hot chocolate.
It was the third year of the Cocoa Crawl, an event created and organized by the businesses of Zelienople to help drive traffic downtown during winter, which is normally a slow shopping time. And the buy in from the shops was simple — just make some hot chocolate for people to take as they cruised through their store.
Christine Border, who owns the Little Green Bookstore, said she came up with the idea around 2024, and other business owners on in the borough took to it well. The businesses in the area already participate in numerous community events throughout the year, like the open air markets and Horse Trading Days, so the Cocoa Crawl was just another opportunity.
“It was really well received,” Border said, “and we all collaborate together really well.”
The temperature remained in the teens throughout the Cocoa Crawl, which was scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. But bundled up bunches of people could be seen walking the streets with cups in their hands and steam emanating from the lids.
Kathi Burgess, a resident of Zelienople, said she finally made it to a Cocoa Crawl after missing it the first two years it took place, and braved the cold Saturday because she tries “to support all the businesses in town.”
“It’s a wonderful thing for them to do,” Burgess said.
And while the cocoa brought some people to the
Annette Shaffer brought her family to the crawl and spoke to the owner of Woods Lane & Co. as she poured hot chocolate from an urn in the shop. The shop’s owner, Anna Ezzolo, said the Cocoa Crawl has become one of her favorite events to participate in as a Zelienople business owner. The fact that it helps bring business in during a slow season is just icing on the cocoa.
“My favorite thing is people have a real sense of community here,” she said. “After Christmas it gets a little quiet, so this will hopefully get people to spend a little time shopping.”
Boutique Blue had an urn filled with blue hot chocolate Saturday, where Beth Buenaventura, the shop’s owner, also commented on the supportive nature of the business community in Zelienople.
“I always love to collaborate with other businesses any chance we get,” she said.
The Cocoa Crawl comes just under two weeks after another community-wide event, the Winter Open Air Market fundraiser which raised money to support a 10-year-old boy from the area who is battling a rare and deadly illness. The event for Jackson “Jax” Ramirez attracted many people to the participating businesses, and it ended up raising around $50,000, according to a member of the Rotary Club of Zelienople.
Erika Shoemaker, one of the owners of ShuBrew and a member of the Rotary Club, said Saturday that people of the area are pretty much always willing to support Zelienople. The Cocoa Crawl was another example of strong community, Shoemaker said.
“We just did it on a whim and people came out,” Shoemaker said of the Winter Open Air Market. She prepared a Mexican hot chocolate for the Cocoa Crawl, made with cocoa powder, cinnamon and dry chili for the crawl. “The businesses are really good about coming together.”
