Chocolate Goat to mark 15 Years

LAFAYETTE — Merchandise comes and goes but family is forever and the owners of the Chocolate Goat are creating lasting memories from their shop at the corner of Route 15 and Morris Farms Road in Lafayette.

Two sisters, Jennifer Koza-Todaro and Stephanie Koza-Austin run the store known for its Belgian chocolates and Vera Wang handbags. The store’s name is a pun on the family name Koza which means “goat” in Polish and the chocolate they sell. The store, which opened on Aug. 1, 1998, is the brainchild of Koza-Todaro and her father but it wasn’t long before younger sister, Stephanie also came on board after finishing college.

“I thought what better way to live my life then operating a business with my sister and our family,” Stephanie said.

“My mother helps with displays; dad helps with the books,” Jennifer explains.

Also both she and her sister have practically raised their kids at the store. Her 10 year old son has had a playroom in the back of the store since birth and he still loves to play there with his cousins who came along later.

“It’s like a closet, but that’s where they play,” Jennifer said.

Not all of the cousins have their minds on just playing in the store though. Koza-Austin’s four-year-old daughter, Molly Austin, is there to work too and both sisters are already eyeing her as a possible successor.

"She’s cute and personable and she’s always talking about the store," Jennifer explains. “We’d love to pass it on.”

Molly’s mom also says she could see her daughter one day taking over the store because she’s already so involved with everything from stickering the merchandise to helping customers.

“It warms my heart; it’s so adorable,” Stephanie said.

The children still have a lot of growing to do before their futures are set and in the meantime, the store is growing with them. The building is located in a historic building dating back to 1832 in the center of the antique district.

When the Chocolate Goat first opened in 1998, it only took up a small portion of the building located at 103 Route 15, but since then, the store has grown to include the upstairs and the family finally bought up the space at the corner of Morris Farms Road and Route 15. That’s when the business really took off, according to Jennifer, because the store became more accessible.

The store’s merchandise has also evolved from its focus on antiques and pewter to giftwear.

“Lines have come and gone, but the staples remain, Quality merchandise, made in the USA, things people are going to keep,” Jennifer said.

The chocolate also remains a hot seller fueled by the family’s love of irony. The Kozas had a special chocolate mold made of a goat to honor their family name. The chocolate goat is available as either a four ounce or 2.5 ounce piece of solid milk, dark or white chocolate and the it’s a favorite with all of the customers.

“People love the chocolate goat," Stephanie said, "We ship it all over the world."

Giving back to the community is also important to the Kozas who grew up in Sparta. Some of their causes include Project Self-Sufficiency and Birth Haven. The Chocolate Goat owners also participate in fundraisers such as “Wine and Roses” and “Taste of Talent.”

“We try to help and give back. This is where we were both born and raised,” Jennifer said.

It’s also the place where they hope to be for many years to come. “This is a huge part of our life,” she said.

The Kozas will be saying thank you to all of the customers that helped make their dream of owning a family business a lasting success. An anniversary sale and celebration will be held in September featuring a 20 percent storewide discount, raffles and gifts for customers.

The customers are also a big part of it. Stephanie says many of them have seen her pregnant over the years and watched her children grow. She says they are part of the family and she feels very “lucky and blessed” to have the business for that reason.