Tag: Go Red for Women

Celebrating Five Years of Spreading Chocolate Happiness…Despite the Odds

Based on statistics from the Small Business Administration, The Happy Chocolatier is in the 50 percent of businesses that make it this far. Yes, half of all small start-up businesses don’t make it to year five. We are proud that our simple idea has matured into an established business in our community. It hasn’t been easy. There have been many challenges – some we should have anticipated and some we couldn’t have

Nagog Park Location

imagined. We’ve reached the five year milestone thanks to the hard work and commitment of our team, continued support from family and friends, learning from all of our challenges and successes, and persistence.

It seems like we were just writing a business plan, thinking through the chocolate line and deciding on packaging. It all started with a conversation about making a cubed truffle and sharing some “chocolate happiness.”

Acton Woods Plaza Location

Launching and managing a small
business has been the toughest professional challenge we’ve experienced. No longer were we focused on performance reviews and promotions to measure success. Now, continuing to pay our bills and the mortgage, while investing in a new business defined success.

We are very pleased with what our dedicated team has accomplished in five years:

  • Created a new brand and built solid consumer awareness in our market area
  • Opened and then moved a local retail store, and developed a local following
  • Expanded our corporate gift business by providing “chocolate solutions” for business needs
  • Increased the number of gift, specialty food and fine wine shops that sell our signature truffle Cubze
  • Broadened our product line (and had fun doing it)
  • Employed members of our area communities including over a dozen high school and college students
  • Hosted fun, educational chocolate making events for moms’ nights, scouts, school groups, clubs and birthday parties
  • Supported our local community through donations to: Household Goods Recycling, The Miracle League of MA, Acton Food Pantry, Beacon Santa, United Way, Girls Inc., area elementary, junior high and high schools, local houses of worship, The Discovery Museum and too many more to name.
  • Created a fun video with our truffle Cubze dancing to Pharrell Williams – take a look, it’s fun!

Our competition is fierce. People can purchase chocolates at the grocery store, drug store, specialty food shop and the mall. People can also choose to buy mass produced chocolates simply because the products cost less. Yet, we are still pushing ahead. We remain focused on our mission: “To offer consumers an indulgent and affordable chocolate experience that makes them happy and enables them to pass the happiness along by sharing.”

We deeply appreciate all of our customers. We thank you for shopping locally, because it enables us to continue supporting the local community and economy. And, that makes us happy.

Give Sweets to Your Sweetie and Help The American Heart Association

Every Valentine’s Day, chocolate becomes part of the romantic holiday.

At The Happy Chocolatier we’ve started a new tradition. This is our third year of making a donation to the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women. Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? We support this fight against heart disease.

So, while dark chocolate is noted to have health benefits, this program from The Happy Chocolatier brings the concept of “health benefits of chocolate” to another level. Your sweetie can enjoy some rich chocolate creations and you can help us help The American Heart Association and Go Red for Women.

So Why Do We Give Chocolate for Valentine’s Day?

Dark Chocolate Double Hearts Handmade at The Happy Chocolatier

Every Valentine’s Day, chocolate becomes part of the romantic holiday. Why? Is it because of all the health benefits of chocolate? Is it because it is simply satisfying? Or, is it just the tradition of it all….

I think the tradition angle wins out. Chocolate has been referred to as “the food of the gods” since the time of the Aztec Indians. In fact the Aztec ruler, Montezuma believed chocolate was an aphrodisiac. Christopher Columbus enjoyed the chocolate he discovered in the Americas. So, he brought it back as a tribute to Queen Isabella of Spain along with other treasures like gold! This new luxury, chocolate, and its legend as an aphrodisiac quickly made its way across the aristocracy of Europe.

In time though, chocolate made its way to the masses. By the 1800s, the Cadbury Brothers had set up shop in England making and selling chocolate to average citizens. In 1861, Richard Cadbury created the first ever heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day. Thus, began the common link between chocolate and Valentine’s Day. A new tradition was started.

And a few fun supporting factoids:
1)       Modern science has linked the chemical phenylethylamine in chocolate to feelings of excitement, attraction and even pleasure.  Maybe Montezuma was, indeed, onto something. You can decide on that one for yourself.

2)       Though women make most of the chocolate purchases during the year (75%), men make the most purchases for Valentine’s Day (75%).

3)       A survey SuzySaid and The Happy Chocolatier conducted with local women indicated that most wanted the chocolate Valentine’s Day gifts delivered to the home (not work). And, that they would share the treats with their loved ones (great news for the buyer).

So, my guess is that men buy chocolate because it is part of the Valentine’s Day tradition. And, from what our survey found, part of that chocolate giving tradition is now to send the gifts home or to simply bring them home!

This year, as part of the chocolate giving tradition, The Happy Chocolatier will make a donation to the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women for every gift box of chocolates purchased for Valentine’s Day. It’s a cause near and dear to our family and the pledge carries forth our goal of giving back.