At Romolo Chocolates, we are a team and a family that has been crafting chocolates and confections for 25 years. Tony Stefanelli, founder and certified master confectioner, has been making and seeking more knowledge about candy for more than 43 years, apprenticing under his grandfather Romolo Stefanelli at the start of his career. We have also been crafting great espresso, cookies, ice cream and more desserts since opening our café in 2004, the same year Tony was named one of only 26 Master Confectioners in the United States. Romolo Chocolates has been winning Erie’s Choice awards since our inception and continues to win awards throughout the tri-state region for products we craft, as well as gifts we curate in Mercato, our gift shop.
Romolo Chocolates is a must-stop destination for Erie natives and visitors alike. Just off the northernmost point of Interstate 79 where it meets Lake Erie (and close to Presque Isle State Park), the 25,000-square-foot destination spot includes not only the chocolate shop, Mercato and the Cocoa Café, but also a beautiful outdoor patio. We annually serve 465,700 packages of confections, 27,600 pastries, 105,500 scoops of ice cream and so much more.
We craft love in an edible form.
The History
1906 — Fourteen-year-old Romolo Stefanelli emigrates from Foggia, Italy, and begins apprenticing in New York City candy factories
1929 — Romolo and Elizabeth Stefanelli leave their confectionery work in NYC to start a family candy business in Erie, Pa.
1976–87 — Tony Stefanelli apprentices under Romolo, his father, and uncle
1988–93 — Tony serves as the main confectioner and chocolatier
1993 — Tony and Jennie get married, the business is sold outside of the family
1994 — Tony opens Romolo Chocolates in November, and Anthony and Roman Stefanelli begin as fourth generation chocolatiers
2003 — Romolo Chocolates expands into a destination with a chocolate shop, gift shop, and Cocoa Café, Jennie Stefanelli starts as pastry chef
2020 — We celebrate 25 years of handcrafted confections and desserts