There’s a new gourmet chocolate and fudge shop in town.
Hon Style Sweets, owned by a trio of local women – Jessica Zaleskiwicz, Shannon Speakman-Maxwell and Diane Speakman – have brought their culinary expertise in sweet treats to 2608 Mountain Road.
“We carry chocolate and fudge. We have at least a dozen flavors of fudge, including classics like chocolate and fun options like red velvet. We also have chocolate bark, crabs, and chocolate-covered Oreos,” explained Zaleskiwicz. “As we get more settled in, we are excited to add more chocolates like nonpareils and some Maryland-themed chocolate boxes.”
Zaleskiwicz is no stranger to the chocolate business. From 2015 to 2020, she and her parents owned Coco Couture at 350 Ritchie Highway in Severna Park. The shop sold a variety of chocolates, fudge, and barks.
“When that [Coco Couture] closed, I shifted into office work. Then, a year and a half ago, Shannon – who I have worked with on and off since 2011 – asked if I wanted to go work for myself again, and Hon Style Sweets was born,” said Zaleskiwicz.
For the last several weeks, the team has been busy bringing the shop to life. “The inside is a bright space with a super cool tile wall. We have an open kitchen so when things are getting made it is visible. As we get more settled in, we are adding Maryland themed art to the walls,” she added.
For the last few years, Hon Style Sweets has participated in local vendor fairs, community festivals and craft shows. Their most popular fudge, revealed Zaleskiwicz, is the Red Velvet, with Strawberry Shortcake fudge being a seasonal favorite.
“I think we’ll be a good fit for Pasadena because there isn’t a chocolate shop in the area. This will be a great place to grab a gift for a birthday or teachers. But it’s also great to have a treat for yourself,” said Zaleskiwicz. “I’ve lived in Pasadena for 16 years and Shannon grew up here. Pasadena is a good area for small businesses.”
Zaleskiwicz emphasized her excitement to officially have a storefront in Pasadena. “It’s been a bit of a journey getting to this point. Getting to open the doors and welcome the community feels like we’ve hit our first major milestone, and we are so ready to continue celebrating the community we love.”
Hon Style Sweets is located at 2608 Mountain Road, Suite 1. Hours are Monday through Wednesday 10am-5pm, and Thursday and Friday 11-7. On weekends, they are continuing their participation in festivals, but will have open hours for holidays which will be posted on their Facebook page.
