Sasee Magazine

There are certain pleasures in life that we, as women, know are special – a piece of delicious chocolate, a glass of good wine and, of course, who doesn’t love a new pair of shoes! To celebrate our Cravings issue, we are pleased to introduce you to three local women who bring us some of the very best of the three: Sue Townsend, Tiffany Phillips and Kathy Bancroft.

Chocolate

The smell hits you before you walk into the door of the Chocolate and Coffee House in Litchfield Exchange. The combination of freshly brewed coffee and melting chocolate is irresistible. Then, you spy the huge glass case of handmade chocolates. Follow that with a warm greeting from owner, Sue Townsend, and you know you’ve come to the right place.

While we visited, a steady stream of customers came in and out; most were greeted by name. There was the wonderful older gentleman who was in the Litchfield Exchange for his art lesson, a group of ladies who congregate in Sue’s shop for their monthly book club meeting, another group of people preparing for a Tai Chi lesson and others who just wandered in for a cup of coffee and a piece of Sue’s delicious chocolate. It was obvious that all of them felt at home there.

Originally from Illinois, Sue Townsend came to the Grand Strand area eighteen years ago from Hilton Head to manage an ice cream shop in Inlet Square Mall. After being here for a while, she kept hearing people say, “I can’t find good chocolate. I can’t find decent coffee.” Sue knew that was something she could provide, so The Chocolate and Coffee House was born. All of her specialty chocolates are handmade by Sue using bulk chocolate ordered from Merckens, one of the top three chocolate makers in the U.S. Customers love her “squartles,” which are turtles cut into squares. The idea for these came when Sue cut up regular turtles to fit into gift boxes. As her regular customers began requesting these little delicacies, they gained a permanent place in the candy case.

“I’ve always sold more dark chocolate, but now those sales have increased dramatically because of the new data about the health benefits. In the summer I sell a little more milk chocolate to tourists, but I don’t even have white chocolate anymore, which, of course, isn’t really chocolate anyway.”

I asked Sue why she decided to sell chocolate, and she was quick to answer. “It makes people happy and feel good. It doesn’t matter if they only buy one piece or a big box; they always leave smiling and happy.”

Contact Sue at The Chocolate and Coffee House in the Litchfield Exchange or call 843-237-7874.

Wine

Tiffany Phillips gets excited about wine. An On-Premise Sales Representative for Republic National Distributing Company for the past nine years, this vivacious young woman sells wine to restaurants and fine wine shops on the South end of the Strand from Georgetown to Murrells Inlet.

“An On-Premise sales representative works with the businesses that actually serve the wine. This gives me the opportunity to educate people about different wines. I enjoy doing wine tastings and wine dinners where the chef and I work together to pair food and wine. We’ll focus on a particular region and explain to the guests why pairing certain wines and foods improves the taste of both.”

I asked Tiffany how she came to sell wine, and she told me that, like most in her profession, she started out working in restaurants. Born in Kansas, Tiffany moved around a lot growing up, but ended up living here on the Strand. After a move to Oklahoma City, she went to work in a wine bar, and it was there Tiffany fell in love with wine. She couldn’t stay away from the Grand Strand, though, and soon moved back and went to work for a local bistro. A Republic National employee encouraged her to apply for a job with the company, and it was a perfect fit.

Today, Tiffany attends monthly training sessions where she tastes different wines all day long (yes, she spits!). Her work has taken her to Australia, California, and her recent honeymoon was spent in Italy. Visiting the vineyards of Spain is a dream Tiffany hopes to soon realize.

I asked Tiffany to give me some advice on buying wine. “Use your local wine shop. They have tasted the wines and can help you find ones you like. And, don’t be afraid to try something new! Good wine doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Many Spanish and Chilean wines are wonderful and reasonably priced.”

Tiffany also recommends reading Kevin Zraly’s, Windows on the World, Complete Wine Course. This book takes you through the different regions and tells you exactly what to sample. “Learning about wine can be a fun way to spend time with your friends.”

And, of course, I had to find out which wines taste best with chocolate – Cabernet Savignon and Rioja, a Spanish wine.

Contact Tiffany at tiffany.folk@yahoo.com, or call 843-903-7999.

Shoes

Kathy Bancroft understands how women feel about shoes. For the past six years she’s owned and operated Palm Shoe Collections in Murrells Inlet. “We get emotional about shoes. And, shoes always fit – our jeans may get a little tight, but shoes always feel the same.”

I had to agree with Kathy as I walked into her lovely boutique and fell in love with a half a dozen pairs, as well as a couple of very nice leather jackets and some of the cutest handbags I’ve ever seen. Palm Shoe Collections has always carried a few novelty tops, but now Kathy has expanded to a full assortment of clothing and handbags.

Originally from Denver, Kathy went to college in Knoxville, and it was there she met her husband, Jim. After finishing school, and getting married, Kathy began her retail career and was eventually offered a position as a shoe buyer. When she and Jim moved to Atlanta, her experience landed her a position with Rich’s, also as a shoe buyer. Vacations were spent on the South Carolina coast, and like many Grand Strand residents Jim and Kathy fell in love with the area and moved here permanently in 1992.

After settling in, Kathy first went to work for Waccamaw Pottery as the Director of Planning and Allocation, but when the store closed she was ready to get back into the shoe business. Fortunately, her years of experience made this an easy transition and after attending the Las Vegas National Shoe Convention, Kathy opened Palm Shoe Collections.

“I knew the area needed a women’s better shoe store. Of course, retail is legalized gambling, but I love the business. I am very aware of the comfort of a shoe and the need for narrow widths in the South. Now you can buy high heels that are made with lots of padding making them easier, and more comfortable, to wear. If your feet hurt, you’re miserable. Of course, we all have some fabulous stilettos that we only wear when very little walking is required!”

Kathy and her staff love helping women find that perfect pair, whether it’s the woman who saves and saves for one or two special pairs a year, or the customer who buys a dozen pairs at a time. Her two employees, Tamara and Hannah, told me they enjoy their work the most when the store is full of customers trying on shoes.

Before I left, Kathy gave me a great piece of advice, “Buy the best shoes you can, wherever you shop. A good pair of shoes will cost more, but they’ll last and be much more comfortable. Plus, a great pair of shoes can be the centerpiece of your outfit. When I choose what to wear each day I always start with the shoes and work my way up through the rest of the outfit.”

Contact Kathy at Palm Shoe Collections in Murrells Inlet, at 843-652-5353. Look for special Holiday savings in December!