Chantal Anderson, Northwest News Network
(GH: Chantal Anderson of The Northwest News Network reports on a chocolate business thriving in tough times on Oregon Public Radio.)
The last year and half has been brutal for start up companies. Storefronts are closed and entrepreneurial dreams have been dashed. But the growth of one Seattle chocolate company is attracting national attention.
Correspondent Chantal Anderson went on a tour of the Theo Chocolate Factory in Seattle.
Remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Where four lucky kids win a tour of Willy Wonka’s secretive candy plant? Well, Theo Chocolate isn’t that exclusive—but you better call ahead.
Just one measure of its success; it’s tours are booked solid.
Hung Truong: “Make sure you call ahead because the tour’s so popular. I think I reserved like four weeks or something in advance? That’s really early.”
Hung Troung came to Theo Chocolate to see where the candy he buys is born.
Hung Troung: “Oh wow the fig one is good.”
Kate Kraay, leads this tour of about 20 visitors. Buzzing about each step of the chocolate bar’s creation.
Kate Kraay: “It’s this process of slurping up the chocolate from the bottom, spraying it up and around the sides; this is the closest thing that we have to Willy Wonka’s waterfall of chocolate.”
How did a company just four years old navigate through the recession? Vice President of Sales and Marketing Deb Music says one factor is the price.
Theo bars run about $3 a piece. That’s proven to be not too high and not too low. Another ingredient to success is that Theo bills itself as the first organic, fair trade chocolate factory in the US. That plays especially well in the northwest.
Music says founder Joe Whinney’s decision to relocate to Seattle from the east coast has been a golden ticket.
Deb Music: “I think our values at this point are very progressive and in line with a lot of people’s values here and I think the company is inspiring because we’re really trying to effect positive change in the world.”
Music says overall the company grew by 21 percent last year, despite the rough economy. And for the first part of this year Music says Theo has seen significant growth – around 25 percent – over 2009.
Curtis Vreeland is a confection industry analyst from Pennsylvania. He says while the chocolate industry isn’t recession proof, it is recession resistant.
Curtis Vreeland: “The overall premium chocolate market is struggling, but they’re layers in there which are doing well. And those would be where Theo is and those companies that are sort of in the gourmet section, but not the high-end.”
Another sweet spot for Theo is its identity.
Curtis Vreeland: “Once you’ve bought into the ethics of those kind of bars – organic and fair trade – you’re not going to shed your ethos in a recession. You may buy less. I think when the country comes out of the recession they’ll be buying quite a bit more.”
Back at the tour at Theo Chocolate, Hung Troung says it’s worth the price.
Hung Troung: “There’s like a psychology thing there, where you might not be able to afford the best things all the time, but you can afford something that’s really nice some times. And it’s just like what $3 for a bar? You’re treating yourself, and you’re not breaking the bank.”
By the end of the tour Troung is left with only one worry.
Hung Troung: “I think those little kids disappeared. It’s oddly like Charlie and the chocolate factory. Did one turn into a blueberry? What happened to them?”
I’m Chantal Anderson reporting.
© 2010 Northwest News Network
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The Northwest News Network is a collaboration of public radio stations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. N3's reporters bring a regional perspective to daily news and produce features that go beyond the headlines.
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