For Beverly Borneman, there is perhaps some irony in the Caste Village Shopping Center location where, in October, she and her sister, Brenda Sobat, opened their first business venture, B&B Candies.

	Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Katie Borneman works at B&B Candies in Caste Village, Whitehall. The store is owned by her mother and her aunt, and the candy is made by her grandmother. Click photo for larger image.

The store near the center of the indoor arcade formerly housed an insurance office.

Borneman gave up a job in the insurance business to pursue life behind the milk chocolates counter.

She believes the arcade location will be an ideal test market for what she and her sister, who gave up a career in nursing, hope will be a sweet success story that expands on a family tradition of candy making.

"We think that it will be a nice neighborhood candy store," said Borneman, adding, "business has been good and we made enough to pay our first month's rent," despite inconvenience caused by the continuing renovation of Caste Village.

The sisters decided to try their hands at the retail candy business after learning to make candy from their mother, Betty Mattes, 77, who has operated her own business at her home in Jefferson Hills since 1966.

Mattes learned the art of making candy from her grandmother, who made the sweet confections for family and friends.

Mattes had an addition put on her house that is devoted to chocolate making.

There, a tempering machine is used to melt large quantities of the rich milk chocolate that is the hallmark of the family's product, and a cooling machine expedites the process.

Mattes still has about 250 regular customers.

"I always wanted to have my own business and it seemed like the right time to expand this family endeavor," said Sobat, who left a 22-year career in nursing behind.

"I'm happy for them and I hope we can handle it," said Mattes, who noted that "14-hour [work] days are common."

Family involvement extends in the sisters' business to yet another generation with Borneman's daughter, Katie Borneman, 17, who works at the store. She said she especially enjoys decorating windows and showcases.

The sisters take pride in the fact that their candy features "a fork-dipping method to cover each individual piece with ultra-milk chocolate."

"It's excellent candy," said Nedra Toth, of Finleyville, who recently was at the store to buy a one-pound box of peanut butter bark, which was just added to B&B's line.

She also had high praise for the store's chocolate-covered cherries.

"We want to offer a wider selection of candies and are open to suggestions from our customers," said Sobat, who noted the popularity of chocolate suckers they have been making.

In addition to boxed chocolates and individual pieces, the business offers decorated candy baskets and takes orders for corporations, special occasions and parties.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

"I think that they will do very well here," said Pete Hennigan, general manager of Caste Enterprises Inc., who said the business fills a large void left since Belmar Candies closed more than a dozen years ago.

"It's nice to have a candy store here again," he said.