Making toffee brings back sweet memories for Stephanie Upshaw. The Memphis native grew up making batches of toffee for Christmas, and it’s always been her go-to holiday gift for friends and family — but she never thought about selling her toffee until friends started calling to ask if she could make it for client gifts. “My first order was for 100, and I was like, ‘Gosh, I can’t make that much,’” Stephanie says. But she enjoyed it so much that she decided to leave her corporate sales career to launch Bluff City Toffee in 2016.
Orders for her milk chocolate pecan toffee (among other Bluff City Toffee goodies) have been pouring in ever since and can now be found at retailers all around Memphis. “I love doing something different and sharing my treats with the community,” says Stephanie. She partners with local retailers and corporations and operates her storefront, fulfillment center, and commercial kitchen in East Memphis. Hear more about the entrepreneurial journey of our newest FACE of Memphis, Stephanie Upshaw.
Please welcome this week’s FACE of Memphis, Stephanie Upshaw, founder of Bluff City Toffee!
How did you get started making toffee?
I’ve been making it for as long as I can remember — mostly just for family and friends for the past 30 years. It was always a staple in our household and different social circles. I worked in corporate America for 20 years, and after my kids graduated, I had more time on my hands and wanted to do something different. I started Bluff City Toffee in 2016, and it’s been a whirlwind of a ride ever since!
What makes your toffee unique from other brands of toffee sold in stores?
It’s small batch! Creating in small batches gives our toffee that perfect balance of crunch and smoothness. What customers seem to enjoy the most about our toffee is the texture. It’s not as brittle. It’s a smoother toffee than most, and that’s hard to create if you are mass-producing it.
Tell us about your journey to getting the business off the ground.
At first, I was cooking out of my house. For those first few corporate orders, it was all hands on deck, with family and friends helping me. In 2017, I rented a space at Delta Cuisine, a federally funded commercial kitchen and incubator in West Memphis that helps entrepreneurs learn the ins and outs of running a business. It was a wonderful start for me, working with food scientists on nutrition panels and learning all the things you need to have in place to sell to retail stores. Being there helped me grow and develop, which was a stepping stone to having my own space.
Stephanie says her current favorite product is the cookies. “I’m trying to stay out of them, but I love them all,” she says. “I have to make sure I eat healthy before I get here so I don’t nibble on the inventory. I have a terrible sweet tooth and would just as soon skip a meal for dessert.”
Regarding customer popularity, Stephanie says, “We started with the milk chocolate pecan toffee, but then we had so many requests for dark chocolate that we started playing around with that. Now our dark chocolate pecan sea salt toffee is just as popular as the milk chocolate. We also have a white chocolate macadamia nut toffee that’s delicious.”
What motivated you to open your retail store?
It was always my goal to have a kitchen and a storefront. In 2020, I found a perfect location. It started as a fulfillment center, and then we were able to add a kitchen and a small retail area. Just having everything under one roof made it a lot more convenient and allowed me to take on more orders.
What were your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome those?
We made the transition to our retail store during the pandemic, which added a layer of complexity to it. There was the unknown of opening a business at that time and trying to figure out how much inventory and product we needed to have on hand, along with the packaging, staffing, and all those issues. Even with the unknowns, 2020 turned out to be one of our best years. We learned a lot and took away some valuable lessons that carried us into the next year.
How has the Memphis community supported you?
Memphis is a food town, and Memphians love to support local. We weren’t sure what we could count on when we opened the retail store during the pandemic, but Memphis has embraced and supported us fully. It’s been wonderful to see.
“Anytime I can get in front of customers, that’s my favorite because I love seeing their responses when they try the toffee,” says Stephanie. She also enjoys talking to people about how they can improve the toffee they make at home.
How have you grown the business since starting?
Currently, we’re in about 15 retail locations. Our retail partners have provided a wonderful avenue for getting our product out to more places. Another big part of our business is corporate orders. We want to continue to grow that side of the business. We also do lots of local pop-up shop events to get our name out there. This year, we’ve teamed up with Sweet LaLa’s Bakery and Shotwell Candy to put together a 901 Sweets Box for the holiday season. It will include our toffee and butter toffee popcorn, two different flavors of Shotwell Candy caramels, and treats from Sweet LaLa’s.
We know you can’t share your recipe, but what’s one secret to making great toffee?
For the most part, it’s equal parts butter to equal parts sugar. But the boiling point really makes a difference in getting the texture just right. To get that velvety chocolate, you want it rich and creamy. That has taken me a couple of years to perfect, especially since moving into a commercial kitchen with different equipment to adjust to.
What have you enjoyed the most about having your own toffee business?
I’ve loved the learning curve; there are so many things I’ve had to figure out. I’ve also enjoyed the branding, package creation, and marketing aspects of it. Social media is such a wonderful platform for advertising products, so trying to understand all that has been fun.
“Last year, we introduced two new products: our butter toffee popcorn and cookies,” Stephanie tells us. “We use the toffee base to coat the popcorn and bake it for an hour. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty! For our butter toffee cookies, we fold toffee crumbles into the cookie dough and brown the butter, so that also makes for a wonderful treat.”
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I’m a huge Dolly Parton fan, and I love her advice. One thing she says that has always stuck with me is, “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.” It’s hard to be vulnerable, put yourself out there, get out of your comfort zone and try new things. That’s why I love that quote — when you’re starting something new, you’ve got to be brave enough to try.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
My dogs! I have two golden doodles that I call the “blonde beauties.” Also, a good glass of wine and the beach.
Thank you, Stephanie! To learn more about Bluff City Toffee, visit bluffcitytoffee.com or visit them on Instagram.
All photography by Justin Fox Burks.
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