Chocadoodledoo making emotional move from Antigo to Waupaca

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

May 11, 2026

WAUPACA – Owner Emiley Stevens said despite her best efforts, her Antigo-based confectionery shop, Chocadoodledoo, is flying the coop for a new storefront in Waupaca.

“It was a really hard decision,” she said. “The people have been nothing but fabulous…, [but] there are several factors that led us to the decision we made.”

When Chocadoodledoo first opened in Antigo five years ago, Stevens said business “started strong.”

“Then, over the years, despite all of our efforts, we noticed a steady decline in business,” she said. “We diversified by offering different things – products, classes, we had some consignment vendors in there over the years – but in the end, it really just wasn’t enough.”

During her time living and working in Antigo, Stevens said she felt there was a lack of investment in its downtown area – where Chocadoodledoo and other local businesses operate – despite some community members’ revamp efforts.

For these reasons and others, Stevens said they decided to relocate both themselves and Chocadoodledoo – first featured by The Business News in its Feb. 3 2025 issue – to Waupaca’s Main Street.

“It was a very emotional decision, [and] I’m going to miss working with all the downtown folks because I made some good friends,” she said. “We were all in that particular boat together – trying to work on our businesses and work on [improving] downtown – and we’ve put a lot of work into it… [So], I really hope they succeed in their continuing efforts to restore [Antigo’s] downtown to what it once was.”

Waupaca’s potential

Her passion for Antigo, in general, Stevens said, made it even more difficult to leave, but she prioritized keeping her business afloat by migrating to an area with conditions for it to thrive.

“When we first knew we needed to do something, we did have to make that decision – were we just going to close for good, or did we want to try to save the business and continue?” she said. “We’ve really put our hearts, souls, pocketbooks and countless hours of work into the building we own [in Antigo], and have a lot of good relationships with our customers. We had to take all of that into consideration.”

Having done her research on Waupaca prior to choosing it as Chocadoodledoo’s next home, Stevens said she and her husband are confident the relocation will be rewarding.

“We had to make the decision that if we wanted to continue the business, it would have to be in a new location,” she said. “We did a lot of economic [and] demographic research on different areas in the state, and we came across Waupaca.”

Despite having never heard of the area, Stevens said the data she found showed promise – and after several visits, they were sold on its potential.

“We were looking at rental places down there, and I happened to see one on Main Street I really like[d],” she said. “So, it really made me dig in more, thinking that maybe this is the right choice.”

Waupaca’s downtown district, Stevens said, was revitalized a few years ago – making it an attractive place to relocate Chocadoodledoo.

“Each time we visited, I was really impressed,” she said. “We went in the middle of the week, like a Tuesday or Wednesday – when, normally, it’s not so busy – [and] each time we hung out the whole day and people-watched – [checking out] what happened along Main Street. There were tons of cars parked, coming and going all day. There were lots of people walking up and down shopping all day, [and] we were really impressed with the way it looks.”

Stevens said the only empty building in Waupaca’s downtown is the one they’re now leasing – located at 114 N. Main St.

“It’s more or less turnkey,” she said. “There is a commercial kitchen in it – it just needs a little bit of work to clean it up and all that.”

Community response, give-back

Chocadoodledoo’s last day in Antigo, Stevens said, was April 22 – with the transition to Waupaca happening over the next month.

“Our building in Antigo is up for sale, [and] we’re getting ready to put our house up for sale because we can’t commute,” she said. “So, we’re moving both our household stuff and our shop stuff [with hopes to open] June 1.”

Having already made the announcement on social media, Stevens said the Waupaca community’s response “has been wonderful” as they excitedly await downtown’s newest sweet shop.

“We have lots of opportunities in that community to give back like [we have done in Antigo],” she said. “That’s important to us – finding a place to serve [in Waupaca and] looking for any and all opportunities to be a value and an asset to the community.”

For updates on Chocadoodledoo’s relocation, product offerings and more, visit its Facebook page.