With two children already out of college, one currently in college, and their youngest still in school, Penn and Tara Miller-Jones wanted to find an opportunity that could bring everyone together around a shared venture while also benefiting the Ridgewood community they have called home for 15 years. 

The Miller-Joneses were first introduced to MilkShake Factory while visiting their son at the University of Pittsburgh in the city where the business has its roots. 

“We would always enjoy going when we were out there,” Penn says. “One of my wife’s colleagues retired from finance and ended up getting five or six licenses up in the Boston area and had mentioned it to us. We said, ‘Well, that’s ironic. We’re familiar with the company because we’ve been out in Pittsburgh.’” 

During their Discovery Day experience, the Miller-Joneses appreciated how approachable the process felt as they tried their hands at making the milkshakes and chocolate themselves. At the same time, they began to picture how enjoyable the experience could be for future employees. 

“We loved the fact that they provide all customers with free samples and a chance to taste some of the homemade chocolate,” Penn says.

MilkShake Factory has always been about family—right from the start. In 1914, Charlie and Orania Sarandou immigrated from Greece and opened a chocolate shop and soda fountain in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood. The family’s chocolate-making tradition would be passed down through four generations, with the second generation joining the business in 1950. By 1973, as the third generation entered the business, continued growth led to the opening of a chocolate factory just a few blocks away. 

“The history of the family is that they were chocolatiers for a number of years,” Penn explains. “They wanted to find a way to steady the revenue from their chocolate shop over the summertime.” 

In 2003, the MilkShake Factory concept took shape through a college business project by Charlie and Orania’s great-granddaughter, Dana Edwards Manatos, now the company’s CEO. As the fourth generation took over the business, Dana and her brothers, Chris and Mark Edwards, expanded the menu to include creative milkshake flavors while holding onto the company’s bread and butter—its chocolates. 

Two decades later, MilkShake Factory entered a new phase with the launch of franchising in 2023, creating opportunities for others to bring the brand and its values to communities beyond Pittsburgh. 

Paving a New Path 

That emphasis on family truly resonated with the Miller-Joneses. Both continue to work in finance, so finding a franchise opportunity with MilkShake Factory came at an ideal time. It offered them the flexibility to continue their careers while trying something new. 

“My 12-year-old daughter loves to come in here and hand out samples of chocolate to customers and work on the cash register,” Penn says. “If one of the kids wants to continue to pursue it, that option is there for them.” 

Ridgewood felt like the right fit to continue that tradition. Centrally located across from Van Neste Square, where many of the village’s events and activities take place, the shop provides customers with a comfortable and inviting destination to enjoy a dessert, celebrate a special occasion, and make memories of their own. 

“We thought Ridgewood would be a great town for something like this because there’s really nothing like it in and around the area,” Penn says. “A lot of people from the surrounding towns come here for the dining and shopping, and we knew we’d be able to have a great location here.” 

The menu offers something for nearly every sweet craving, ranging from classics like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and cookies and cream to gourmet flavors such as banana foster, birthday cake, and salted caramel pretzel. The Ridgewood location also includes nondairy options, molten chocolate cups, sundaes, and the ever-popular root beer float. 

Among Penn’s personal favorites are the raspberries and cream, which pairs raspberry purée with sweet cream, and the cookie jar, which features chocolate chip cookie dough, crushed cookies and cream, and peanut butter cookie crumbles. 

“The way that MilkShake Factory has been able to create a consistent product—the shake comes out the same every single time—that’s what really appealed to us,” Penn says. “Even the straw is extra thick so that you get all of the great ingredients.” 

The shop’s chocolate barks are made in-store, while its chocolate bars are produced for the franchise using a century-old recipe. Among the top sellers are the salted caramel and Dubai-style bars. 

The Miller-Joneses hold licenses to open two additional locations in Bergen County, but their current focus remains on getting the Ridgewood shop up and running before searching for the next one. 

More than a century after one family began a business that would connect generations through a love of chocolate and sweet treats, the Miller-Joneses are writing their own story in the Village of Ridgewood. 

Located at 63 East Ridgewood Avenue. Open daily, noon to 10 p.m. Call them at 201-267-4253 or visit the website at milkshakefactory.com/locations/ridgewood/.