Behind the glass-encased counters of Smith & Adams, a newly-opened confectionary in Colonial Plaza, the shiny, colorful gems of artisanal chocolate look more like art than candy.
The visual appeal makes sense as Kelly Smith, who handles the product side of Smith & Adams, went to art school before culinary school. Following that, she was a chef at Disney for 25 years before she and her partner, Kim Adams, decided to quit their jobs and take a risk on their own shop. Adams was previously an attorney and handles the business end of Smith & Adams.
“When I tell people that I’m in the chocolate business, it puts smiles on their faces, compared to when I told them I was a lawyer,” she says.
The couple met through friends, lives in Orlando and has been together for five and a half years.
Smith & Adams originated with farmers’ market stands and evolved into a retail location with three employees.
“The shop is set up where people can see what we make, people can watch us work,” Smith says. “Everyone who works here makes chocolates, so they know what’s in it and can explain it to you.”
She adds that opening their own business is “by far the most difficult and scariest thing I’ve ever done,” but the feedback has been good so far.
Smith says things are also going smoothly in regards to living and working with Adams.
“We have totally different roles, so it’s good,” Smith says. “I have my kitchen and she has her business thing. They’re totally separate, but we still bounce ideas off of each other. It all works out fine.”
“It was always [Smith’s] dream to open up a chocolate shop, and I love running the business side of things, so it was a perfect fit,” Adams says.
Now, they are focused on spreading the word and attracting customers.
“The biggest issue right now for any business starting out is to create enough buzz to get people into the door,” adds Adams, who says they’re trying to do just that via social media, where they “post almost every day what new and different exciting flavors we have.”
In addition to the chocolates, the shop offers gelato handmade on site with natural ingredients. Adams says a must-try is the affogato, a scoop of gelato topped with espresso. According to Smith, their most popular chocolate flavors are peanut butter and jelly, salted caramel, lemongrass, Matcha and they had a run of absinthe that sold well.
Smith & Adams uses local ingredients when possible, Adams says. Right now they partner with a local coffee roaster and they’d like to form more partnerships with local suppliers.
The shop is still technically in the soft opening phase, and has been since they opened their doors in December of 2015. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Adams says a grand opening is in the works for February, as are other events such as chocolate making classes and wine and chocolate pairing tastings. They’re also still running their online shop.
