A display case inside Mindy’s Munchies in Falmouth. Courtesy of Mindy’s Munchies

Mindy’s Munchies, a New-Jersey-based store specializing in chocolate-covered treats, opened its first-ever franchise location Saturday, in Falmouth.

Located at 251 Route 1 in the Shaw’s supermarket plaza, the 2,100-square-foot space was formerly home to the Generator Supercenter of Maine.

Mindy’s Munchies launched more than 20 years ago in Norwood, New Jersey. The store opened a second location in Boca Raton, Florida, before starting to franchise this year, beginning in Falmouth.

Falmouth franchise owner Marlo Murphy had been working as a practice manager in the medical field for three decades when she received an “eye-opening” cancer diagnosis. Her cancer now in remission, Murphy said she learned about the franchise opportunity at about the same time, and “took it as a sign” to make a career change.

“I was ready to move on to the next phase of my life – making people happy by providing chocolate,” Murphy said.

Mindy’s sells a wide variety of chocolate-covered treats including pretzels, graham crackers, marshmallows and Oreos – all hand-dipped in the store – along with other chocolates and confections, sold by the pound. The store also sells gift baskets and platters, wedding favors and small gifts, and ships its goods nationwide.

Because she believed that Falmouth needed more coffee options, Murphy said her store also sells dark-, medium-roast and decaf coffee from Coffee By Design. She expects to offer croissants, pastries and additional coffee and espresso beverages starting early next year.

Murphy added that the store will soon be rolling out a “robust” selection of gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate-dipped goodies.

Murphy had considered opening the store in Scarborough, but said “Falmouth called out to us.”

“We were trying to get in an area where there were a lot of kids,” she said, noting that the store has a 700-square-foot party room for kids’ birthday parties and other festivities.  “The community has been very welcoming. It was the right fit for our product.”

Mindy’s Munchies is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

MAINE NEEDHAM FESTIVAL RETURNS

The second annual Maine Needham Festival is set for Saturday at the Maine Tasting Center in Wiscasset.

The free festival first launched last year to celebrate the Needham, also known as potato candy, which features a coconut and potato filling covered in dark chocolate. The Needham has been a sweet staple in the state for more than 150 years. State legislators last year designated the last Saturday in September as “Maine Needham Day.”

The family-friendly festival includes Needham-making demonstrations and a homemade Needham contest along with a variety of candymakers, craft and food vendors, live music and other entertainment. Kids’ activities include arts and crafts stations, potato sack races and a Maine potato-themed scavenger hunt.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Find more details online at meneedhamfest.com.

BACKWOODS TO OFFER PASTA MEALS TO GO

Starting this fall, Backwoods Burger Shack in Gorham plans to offer affordably priced take-home spaghetti dinners from its roadside restaurant.

“Not having a dining room, we anticipate a pretty considerable decline in (business) volume, with people not being able to sit outside on our patio for lunch or dinner,” Backwoods chef-owner Rick Boyd explained. “We wanted to offer something for people who need to feed a family, that they can grab quickly and inexpensively.”

Boyd expects to launch the business, which he has given its own name – Pasketti’s – in the second half of October. In addition to spaghetti, the meals include garlic toasts and Caesar or Italian chopped salad, meant to feed from one to eight people. Backwoods Burger Shack will continue to offer its regular menu through the fall and winter, along with daily soup specials.

Boyd said he hasn’t yet set the pricing for the Pasketti’s menu, but that he aims to keep the meals affordable. “Our goal is to be able to feed a family of six with spaghetti, garlic bread and salad for under $35,” he said. “If we can give people a healthy, fast alternative, it just makes sense. You eliminate so much headache for busy parents when they can take home a complete meal.”

Boyd may eventually add other types of pasta to Pasketti’s menu and more sauce options besides house marinara, along with baked lasagnas available for pre-order.

“If (Pasketti’s) does well enough, we’ll spin it off into its own brick-and-mortar,” Boyd said.

FIFTH ANNUAL FERMENTATON FAIR

The fifth annual Maine Fermentation Fair is slated for next month at Dandelion Spring Farm in Bowdoinham.

Set for Sunday, Oct. 6, the fair features experienced home fermenters offering demos of their techniques for making kombucha, yogurt, kimchi, cider and more. Various workshops, with a suggested donation of $10-$50, will cover topics such as salt-rising bread, lacto-fermentation and miso as food and medicine.

The event will also feature products and representatives from 14 vendors including Go-en Fermented Foods, Maine Garum Company, Midcoast Vegan, and Oxbow Brewing.

New this year is a noon potluck, where attendees are encouraged to bring a fermented food to share. Other highlights include a culture swap table with individual culture portions for fairgoers to take home, and a ferment contest.

Visit fermentationfair.com for more information or to register for workshops.

BOSTON MAGAZINE ON EAST BAYSIDE

Boston Magazine recently highlighted the “increasingly delectable” East Bayside neighborhood in Portland as a must-visit for food lovers.

“Still-reasonable rents have attracted culinary entrepreneurs, who are channeling new life into the area,” the story reads. “Local businesses feel personal; many got their start at the affordable Black Box, an incubator-style retail space with five tiny units built out of repurposed shipping containers. An assortment of locally owned restaurants, breweries, and distilleries clustered around pedestrian-friendly Washington Avenue are catnip for food lovers.”

The article includes short write-ups of The Cheese Shop, Forage, Hardshore Distilling Company, Lil Chippy, Magissa, Maine & Loire, Minato, Moonday Coffee, Onggi, Quanto Basta, Ramona’s, Red Sea Restaurant, Rising Tide Brewing Company, Root Wild Kombucha, Sticky Sweet, Terlingua, and The Shop by Island Creek Oysters.