Dawn Oesch

WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS BY SUPERSOURCEMEDIA.COM

When Dawn Oesch was a young adult wondering what to do, her father asked her what her favorite job had been so far. She’d worked in retail, at restaurants and at her parents’ bakery, but her favorite job was at a candy store. That’s when she knew - she didn’t want to just work at a candy shop, she wanted to own one. In 1998, when she was just 25 years old, Oesch opened what is now called Saratoga Candy Co. in downtown Saratoga Springs. “There’s no sweeter job,” she said. EMBRACING THE BITTER SWEETNESS If you were Willie Wonka, what would your favorite confection be? After working with every flavor of candy you can imagine, for more than 20 years, Oesch’s choice of treats shows a preference for a bit of tartness to balance out the sweetness; her favorites include licorice, raspberry swirl fudge, and chocolate maple creams. Perhaps liking what many others don’t is part of the fun. Maybe it’s because she likes to face challenges head-on. Like the year it snowed 2-feet on Valentine’s Day – the store’s busiest day of year. It typically brings in 12 percent of their annual revenue, but the snow was keeping people home that day. Financially, it took four years for the store to recover. But Oesch is an optimist who refuses to be scared off by the things in life that others turn away from – including confrontation. “I don’t settle well; I know myself and what I want. I know my worth,” she said. What she didn’t know when she was younger was how many long hours she’d be putting in to ensure the shop’s success. “My younger self thought I’d be rolling in it. Now I know, I’ll never make millions, but I’m happy. I genuinely miss the store when I’m on vacation. Who else can say that?” CREATING CORDIAL GREETINGS Oesch is open and outgoing, with a vitality that is perfectly suited for Saratoga Springs, a city known for its vibrant downtown. An active member in the Downtown Business Association for nine years, Oesch served in a variety of positions, including as the DBA president. “I met great friends there and got involved when I realized I couldn’t do this alone. Then, I went from relying on community support to initiating it,” she said.

As president, she promoted the DBA’s ‘Hi, Neighbor’ campaign, which included signage that would let people know that the DBA is a group of your friends, colleagues and neighbors working together to keep the community strong. JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT

While she was still in college, Oesch, who loves the theater, decided she wanted to be involved with it purely because it was fun.

“When it’s not fun, I don’t do it. When I was younger, I’d always say, ‘yes’ to everything. Now, I’m figuring out how to say, ‘no’. If I just didn’t always enjoy myself, I wouldn’t do it,” she said.

Involved with the community-run Home Made Theater since 2004, she’s filled a variety of roles – both onstage and off.

Oesch was the Director of six Home Made Theater musicals - five of which were the company’s best-selling shows ever.

“I love teaching and directing. I love seeing eyes open wide when I direct them and seeing it just click for them. I can’t think of a more rewarding feeling,” she said. THE CHOCOLATE OF LIFE

This year, for their 35th season, Oesch is serving as Home Made Theater’s Artistic Coordinator, and after reading 95 scripts, she helped to select ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.’ Performances will be held in the Spa Little Theater at Spa State Park at the end of April and the beginning of May.

“It’s the smells, the ghosts, the history there, it just drags you in and you can’t leave. It’s the chocolate of life,” said Oesch.

When someone is doing something that they truly enjoy, it makes a difference.

For Oesch, it’s a difference you can experience when you see a show or that you can taste when you stop into her shop.

At Saratoga Candy Co., her joy is mixed into each candy she creates. For Easter, that means baskets brimming with sweet delights, including homemade chocolate bunnies.

“I put joy into everything I make because I love it. It’s fun and I get to do something different all the time. I’m very blessed and very lucky to be able to do what I do.” S S