
Show Notes
Sure, here’s a comprehensive sequence of topics covered in the text with sub-topic bullets:
Positive Work Environment at Chocolatá
- Small shop fostering personal connections
- Crew sharing common belief systems
Strength of Branding
- Attracts like-minded individuals
- Emphasis on personal connections and walk-ins for hiring
Hiring Practices
- Importance of kitchen experience and food handling certification
- Various tasks for new hires: mold polishing, kitchen assistance, front-of-house duties
Kathy’s Background
- Teenage experience in a Jacksonville chocolate shop
- Unique work wrapping 10,000 chocolate pharaoh heads for a King Tut exhibit
- Continued working there for four years
Journey to Owning a Chocolate Shop
- Burnout from other jobs
- Husband’s encouragement for business plan and loan
- Challenges and rewards of small business ownership
- Viewing each job as a stepping stone
Initial Business Ventures
- Making chocolate popcorn for a festival
- Busy first season and customer interactions
- Popularity of sipping chocolate and recipe change to dairy-free
Transition to a New Location
- Need for a larger kitchen and retail storefront
- Initial challenges with visibility
- Co-habitation with businesses like interior designers and bridal gown makers
- Use of events as a marketing strategy
Business Adjustments and Future Plans
- Temporary closure and setup of the new shop
- Aiming to create a destination area with chocolate, organics, and antiques
- Mention of a coffee shop need in the neighborhood
- Seasonality of chocolate sales
Chocolate Shipping and Packaging
- Delicacy of chocolate and shipping challenges
- Need for insulation and cold packs
- Planning for holiday rush and corporate gifting
Product Development and Feedback
- Experimentation with flavors and chocolates
- Incorporating team feedback
Find full show notes, including links mentioned in this episode, at carrierollwagen.com.
Carrie Rollwagen