Winfrey's is Closing, but Staying Near the Community

A staple of Hamilton’s Railroad Avenue for six years will close its doors on Aug. 1.

Winfrey’s, the chocolate and fudge destination with deep local roots, opened at 44 Railroad Ave., in Hamilton in 2009, but the location simply isn’t working any longer.

“We’re closing due to the lack of parking and foot traffic,” said Jillian Winfrey, daughter of Winfrey’s founders and current marketing manager for the company, adding that the nearby Wenham store offers plenty of both parking and foot traffic. “It doesn’t feel like we’re really leaving the community; we’ll still be in Wenham.”

Winfrey said the Hamilton location is the smallest of the shop’s five current locations and all of the current staff will be relocated to the Wenham store.

Beginning next week, everything in the Hamilton store will be half-priced, Winfrey said. She added that the company owns the building at 44 Railroad Ave. and has listed the property for sale.

Winfrey’s Fudge and Chocolates is looking at branching out a bit further west of its typical North Shore spots, Winfrey said, but there are not yet definite plans to announce.

For now, Winfrey said the company is focused on maintaining strong ties to the community where the founder, Christine Winfrey, grew up.

“We are going to be still down the street in Wenham,” Winfrey reiterated. “We’re still in the community; we’re not going anywhere.”

The Wenham location is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with some seasonal variations.

Photo: Patch stock