JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Jojo’s To Go, located just outside downtown Jasper on 4150 Main Street, is a brand new establishment that specializes in providing a variety of baked treats, candies, and desserts for customers to enjoy.
Opening for business this past December, Jojo’s provides a diverse range of candies and baked desserts, ranging from salt water taffy and gummies to homemade cookies and brownies. Joyce Payne, owner of Jojo’s, explained she wanted to open a facility similar to that of an old fashioned candy store within the community, one featuring candies not typically sold across major retailers or gas stations.
“A lot of the candies we sell are things that companies still make, but you can’t hardly find anymore,” explained Payne.
Payne, who was the owner of the now closed Snack Shack Restaurant, wanted to establish a new business that felt closer to home to her passion of baking different desserts from scratch, stepping back from the days of cooking burgers, fries and sandwiches. Payne shared how since opening Jojo’s, many clientele from around the community flocked to her new establishment to purchase different desserts and candy, many remarking how the store is similar to ones found in tourist destinations such as Gatlinburg but closer to home in Jasper.
In addition to candies and desserts, Payne said a wide range of sodas and coffee flavors are also provided to customers visiting the store, ranging from dirty sodas to 50 different flavors of coffee that can be made in varying combinations. New York bagels, shipped directly from the Empire State, are also available for customers to purchase, with a selection of cream cheese flavors made homemade from Jojo’s being offered with each one.
“We kind of have something for everybody,” said Payne. “If somebody is gluten free or if someone can’t do dairy, then we got dairy free and sugar free options. We’re trying to cater to the community in general as far as what they want, and we would have something that they could pick from.”
Payne shared connecting with the community through Facebook plays a major role to providing new ideas as to what candies to sell within the shop. She explained many residents would reach out and ask through the business’ Facebook page if specific candy types and flavors could be sold in stock. This allows her to find new ways to expand the inventory of treats that the store provides, ensuring all who visit Jojo’s To Go are provided with new treats and drinks to choose from.
“If it’s something we can get, we will absolutely do that,” said Payne. “We got a whole new line of chocolates coming in just based off the customer response off of Facebook.”