It’s all about customer service

“We sample like crazy on the weekends,” Pickett said. And Pickett goes around to his fellow business owners to invite them to have a treat every so often.

Pickett narrows down the three things that makes his store successful, including customer service, cleanliness and presentation. People like it because the food he sells is not sitting in a warehouse, Pickett said. The store makes everything from scratch, and most of his employees are trained in making the treats that Rocky Mountain sells.

“They have good apples; I like the different varieties of apples,” said Paul Tinsley, who was visiting from Vancouver, British Columbia, with wife, Megan, and daughter, Abby, 6. “And of course the toffees. Those are great.”

The store’s most popular treats are the candied apples, of which 25,000 were sold in 2008, Pickett said. Other popular treats include fudge and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Before Pickett took over, the store sold about 13,000 apples a year, he said.

“It’s all about customer service — treat people how you want to be treated,” Pickett said. “Even if they don’t buy anything, we appreciate you coming by.”