Meet North East ' s Newest Businesses
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NORTH EAST
Sweet Dreams
Meet North East ' s Newest Businesses
Exciting things are happening in North East as new businesses continue to fill once-empty storefronts.
JULIE’ S SWEET TREATS
6 East Main Street • juliesweettreats. com • 814.600.2641
One of the newest additions is Julie’ s Sweet Treats, a chocolate shop founded by local entrepreneur Julie Donaldson.
Donaldson’ s love for chocolate began at a young age.
“ When I was 10 years old, a family friend introduced me to the wonders of working with chocolate,” said Donaldson,“ What started as a fun pastime making treats for family gatherings quickly evolved into a passion for the craft.”
After years of perfecting her skills, Julie’ s Sweet Treats was established in August 2017, quickly becoming a favorite food vendor at the Gibson Park Open Market, Wine Fest and other local events. By 2025, demand for her treats had grown so much she began to operate out of a rented commercial kitchen inside Dragonfly Sweets at 3 W. Main St. That experience gave her an early taste of storefront operations and helped confirm a longtime dream.
“ From day one, it’ s been a dream of mine to open a storefront,” Donaldson shared.“ With the support of close friends and family, and realizing I had outgrown my current space, I decided to take the leap.” Now, that dream is a reality in the heart of downtown North East. Donaldson says one of her greatest sources of pride is how much the business has grown.
“ When I started, I only participated in a few events each year,” she said.“ Now I have a storefront, four annual shows, several wholesale clients, and I work with local organizations for fundraising. Our customers aren’ t just sales— they’ re part of the Julie’ s Sweet Treats family.”
Among her most popular items are her Peanut Butter Meltaway Cups, an original creation and top seller since opening in 2017. Besides Peanut Butter, the chocolate cups come in over ten flavors, including fruit, latte, and nut varieties. Other offerings include nut clusters, chocolate-dipped pretzels, cookies, grapes, strawberries, apples, and more. During the summer months, chocolatedipped grapes are a customer favorite. With the new storefront, Donaldson plans to expand her offerings even further, including homemade fudge.
Choosing North East as the business location was an easy decision.
“ My husband and I moved here in 2016 and planned to stay temporarily,” Donaldson said.“ Almost ten years later, we love the community and aren’ t going anywhere. Opening a business here was a no-brainer.”
Business Hours: February & March: Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a. m. – 6 p. m. Summer hours beginning in April: Wednesday – Friday, 11 a. m. – 6 p. m.; Saturday, 10 a. m. – 4 p. m.
Customers can place shipping orders online at juliesweettreats. com. For in-person pickup, customers are encouraged to call or text 814.600.2641. Visit Julie ' s Sweet Treats, located at 6 East Main Street.
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