Candlewood Market in Fairfield CT, located in the Sportsplex, was a hidden gem to me, but a bustling local hub to those from the area. At Candlewood Market, you can find a variety of drinks, pastries, pizzas, and even bagels straight from New York! They have a wide range of coffee beverages, Espresso Bars, Matcha, Smoothies, Frappes, and Italian Sodas, just to name a few! Their delectable food products range from Chocolate Croissants, Bacon egg and cheeses, Chipotle Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Pizzas, to Ice Cream from Rich Farm!
The atmosphere at Candlewood Market is nothing short of charming and homey. The rustic wooden shelves adorned with local artisanal products created an inviting ambiance that made me want to explore more! In our interview with manager of Candlewood Market, Ryan Inzero, he shared that he does a lot of his gift shopping at Candlewood Market, and I can definitely see why! You can purchase high quality products such as infused oils, balsamics, herbal tonics, hot sauces, and essential oils while supporting local businesses!
See some of what I tried below:
Milky Way Frappeze:
Bacon Egg Cheese Served On An Everything Bagel (delivered straight from NY):
Chipotle Chicken BLT:
Buffalo Chicken Traditional Pizza:
Chocolate Croissant:
Candlewood Market offers free wifi so you can sip on a frappe and chew on your bagel (straight from New York) while taking a business meeting or scrolling on Tiktok with a good connection! At Candlewood Market you will find: delicious roasted coffee, crafted drinks, specialty imported pastries, ice cream from Rich Farm, and a gift shop! Candlewood Market is a one stop local hub and I know I will be back!
See our Q&A with Manager of Candlewood Market, Ryan Inzero , below!
Tell me a little about yourself and what made you want to work at Candlewood Market?
“My family business is Candlewood Market! I’m one of six kids and my family has been roasting coffee for over 16 years. We do that in Brookfield CT, and a few years ago an opportunity popped up to open a cafe again! So we went ahead and opened a coffee shop where there were originally smaller items like coffee and tea, now we’re merging into more local Connecticut source products as a gift store.”
How did you come up with the name?
“We’re in Brookfield CT, right by Candlewood Lake. Our family’s brand is Candlewood Coffee so it just made sense to name this Candlewood Market!”
How would you describe the atmosphere and food at Candlewood Market?
“We’ve got a cozy, setback vibe that many people classify as a hidden gem. We’ve got a lot of coffee beverages. Espresso bar, tea bar, we’ve got speciality Kombucha on tap. We’ve got miscellaneous items like matcha, italian sodas, stuff like that. I would call it a warm environment with foods and drinks that make people feel home.”
Do you source any items locally?
“Our bakery comes from New York, a lot of our pies come from Limein, we have rich Rich Farms Ice Cream. We’re sourcing locally as we keep moving forward. I’d say we have a gourmet feel to everything. Everyday we get the bagels from New York and all the pastries!”
What would you recommend visitors try when they come to Marianna’s Pantry?
“Definitely the Grilled Chicken Pesto, that’s my go to. For drinks, I go with smoothies but if I’m feeling less dense I’d go with a Matcha or our Fruit Refreshers. Our Fruit Refreshers are our tea sweetened, and then we pop some fruit at the bottom!”
I know you offer free Wifi, do a lot of people come in and work remotely?
“Definitely, yes! In the morning we have a lot of people do business meetings and get their work doen through lunch. As we start to get in the evening hours, we have more college and highschool students that roll in. When exam season starts, we have practically no seating because everyone crams in to get their work done. It’s a little local hub.”
What do you think is unique about Candlewood Market?
“We’re local driven, community driven, so pulling together as a community and making relationships with the community is really what it’s all about. You can offer a service, but in reality,what’s important is creating the atmosphere that everybody wants to go to. It’s really about the core community and family coming together.”
Do you have anything special coming up?
“We’ve built more shelving in the back so we’re getting ready to set up higher quality local retail items. We might set up another section here as a door to create more of a market atmosphere so we can keep bringing in more local products.”
Is there anything you want me to include that I didn’t get to ask you about?
“Our ice cream is amazing! Also, our market is a great place to get all your gift shopping done in one place and support local businesses at the same time. I personally do all my gift shopping here.”
About Candlewood Market: Candlewood Market is family owned and operated. They have been roasting coffee for 12 years along the shores of Candlewood Lake in Brookfield Connecticut. They know coffee. In their continued growth, they have opened a storefront so everyone can enjoy their infamous coffee, nitro brews, and kombucha.
They are conveniently located in the middle of the SPORTSPLEX campus in Fairfield CT. Their bright, spacious shop has plenty of comfy places to lounge about, sturdy tables to get work done, and excellent WiFi. You can enjoy a snack with your favorite coffee-shop beverage! They’ve been called the “freshest roast in town” and offer unique beverages at their Nitro Bar including Kombuchas and Nitro Cold brew coffees & teas.
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