By Jessica Borders
Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
Gwen Hoffmaster truly values relationships at her new business, Noteworthy Sweets LLC.
On July 21, Hoffmaster opened this specialty dessert shop in downtown Fairmont. Customers can find the store at 91 Fairmont Ave., in the historic Crawford building beside Aspire Uniqueness Boutique.
Noteworthy Sweets offers cookies, muffins, scones, cheesecakes, fresh fruit pies and cream pies. Right now, quiche and homemade bread are also available, and soups for lunch will be coming soon.
When making these items, Hoffmaster doesn’t use prepackaged ingredients.
“Everything I use is natural or real,” she said. “It’s the real thing.”
In addition, Noteworthy Sweets takes special orders and does in-house catering. The business’ first big catering event was the Fairmont Community Development Partnership’s open house and conference called the “YMCA Comeback” on Aug. 27.
Hoffmaster, originally from Ridgeley, said she has been cooking since she was 10 years old. She remembers how much she enjoyed being in the kitchen with her mother, grandmother, two sisters and other ladies from town.
She commented that she loves to bake and also interact with people and form friendships. For Hoffmaster, cooking is fun, and she’s always been curious about how to best use the available ingredients to create something delicious.
Hoffmaster, who now lives in Fairmont, gained a lot of experience while previously working for two restaurants. She said she has been thinking about opening and running a business of her own for years.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” she said.
Hoffmaster’s dream became a reality when Bob Gribben, executive director of the FCDP, told her about a business opportunity in the Crawford building, which the organization owns.
With the help of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, the FCDP built out the space to fit the needs of Noteworthy Sweets. The construction work and business planning took about three months, Hoffmaster said.
She said the shop is a place where people can get homemade desserts and real, quality food. The store has a feel-good atmosphere, and customers can sit inside, chat and relax.
“We’re all for relationships and community cohesiveness,” Hoffmaster said.
She said the goal was to make Noteworthy Sweets a family business.
Hoffmaster operates Noteworthy Sweets with the help of two employees, including her son Jordan, and one intern from Fairmont State University. Her husband Michael also provides assistance, and her son Benjamin will soon join the business.
Noteworthy Sweets LLC is open 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call the shop at 304-366-6683.
E-mail Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com.
