JoMart Celebrates 70th Anniversary This Friday With Samples And Champagne!

JoMart, the family-owned sweet shop at the corner of Avenue R and Nostrand Avenue, will be pouring champagne and offering free samples Friday to celebrate their 70th Anniversary.

“This is our way of celebrating what our customers have allowed us to do,” said JoMart owner Michael Rogak. “We don’t take customer loyalty for granted. It’s something that keeps us going and pushes us further.”

He explained his father opened the business on April 15, 1946, when they had a retail shop on Franklin Avenue and Eastern Parkway. JoMart comes from combining the name of his father, Martin, with his partner and cousin, Joseph. In the 1950s they moved the shop to Avenue R when they consolidated their retail and manufacturing locations into one store, Rogak said.

“We wanted our product to be quality and to be treated properly. So we felt like selling directly to the public was the way to go,” he said.

Rogak, whose grandfather was also a chocolatier involved in the family business, said their loyal fans have allowed the business to thrive for so many decades.

“I have families that have been loyal to us since the 1940s. And this multi-generational connection is really more gratifying than any amount of money I could ever make,” he said. “And it’s a two way street. We are loyal to our customers. We listen to our customers. And they, in turn, support us.”

Rogak also said JoMart will have a special sale to celebrate the occasion, but he wouldn’t elaborate because “then it’s not a surprise for anybody.”

“But it’s going to be a big sale. It’s something that I’ve never done before,” he said.