Page 43 - the NOISE February 2014

FLAGSTAFF CHOCOLATE COMPANY:
LOCAL FAMILY-CENTERED SHOP COOKING UP SWEETNESS
STORY & PHOTOS BY STEELE WOTKYNS
Under various names with different owners it has been in Flagstaff since 1978. But for current owner Laura Snopek the Flagstaff Chocolate Company, nes- tled in the Old Town Shops in this historic downtown, is now all that much sweeter
for family reasons.
“My kids were getting older,” explained
Ms. Snopek, adding that her son plays
baseball and her daughter plays softball. “As a parent you don’t want to miss out on
those things.” A true Flagstaff local who at- tended Coconino High School and North- ern Arizona University, Ms. Snopek didn’t want to miss out on watching her kids grow up and thrive in sports.
While working in management-level jobs always on the clock, she was watch- ing her husband and independent busi- nessman, Robert Snopek be able to take more time with the kids. “So I was watch- ing my husband who was able to get off to watch our kids,” said Ms. Snopek, add- ing that she got a little jealous of her hus- band at times. “It became harder for me to watch my kids play sports.”
Ms. Snopek got her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from NAU and began her career working part- time at a local bank starting her freshman year. She moved up to become the branch manager of that bank overseeing some 30 employees at one point, in what was then the bank’s largest branch. But then in March of 2009 when the economy took a turn for the worse, Ms. Snopek got laid off.
She transitioned into working in the accounting field for a dentist and for an oil distributorship. Then one day she was searching on Google for Flagstaff busi- nesses for sale and up popped Flagstaff Chocolate Company.
“My first thought was: oh my gosh, how fun would that be?” recalls Ms. Snopek. “How fun would that be to own a chocolate
shop? I went home that night and I looked at my husband and said, ‘What would you say if I told you I thought I wanted to buy a chocolate shop?’ He kinda looked at me and said, ‘Do you think that would make you happy? Okay, let’s look into it.’” Mr. Snopek, an independent Pep- peridge Farm distributor in Northern Arizona, has always been very supportive of his wife, her career, and their family.
So Ms. Snopek bought Flagstaff Chocolate Company through a broker, a purchase pro- cess that she said took about six months. She celebrated her first — and a successful year
— on December 11 of last year. “I bought the trade name, recipes for chocolate, customer base, the furniture and fixtures, the website,” said Ms. Snopek adding, “I probably found the ad in July and it took us about six months — the whole process. It was probably the right place at the right time.”
But her transition from banking to selling those oh so tempting chocolate-covered or- ange sticks, the chocolate truffles, the impres- sive lineup of imported licorice, ooh, and that black licorice ... let’s see where were we ? ... Oh, right, Ms. Snopek’s transition to the Flag- staff Chocolate Company also draws strengths from her having grown up within the family she did and as a result of her university experi- ence and business background.
“My parents started out in the grocery busi- ness,” said Ms. Snopek. “When my dad got out of A.J. Bayless (now Bashas) he got into working with Frito Lay and Hostess and then my parents bought a Pepperidge Farm route in Bullhead City and Lake Havasu.” As a result, Ms. Snopek learned a lot about key things like managing inventory, vending and other parts of the food business. “I knew it would relate to the Chocolate Company,” added Ms. Snopek.
The Flagstaff Chocolate Company, at the corner of Birch and Leroux, is open when the Old Town Shops are open, so Ms. Snopek relies on a great staff of eight part-time, mostly high school and NAU students. Another attribute
setting it apart as the premier chocolate and licorice store in the region is the work of staff member Jackie Caughey, a graduate of the University of Cordon Bleu. While attending this prestigious Institute, Ms. Caughey specialized in desserts. Actually called simply Le Cordon Bleu, it boasts over 100 years of teaching ex- perience and is widely considered to be the world’s premier culinary arts institute. Fast for- ward to a tiny corner of a small chocolate shop in downtown Flagstaff, where Ms. Caughey melts the chocolate in pesto pots, a kind of double boiler. “She makes all of our truffles and our fudge,” said Ms. Snopek of Ms. Caughey’s culinary dessert artistry. Ms. Snopek added that Flagstaff Chocolate also melts chocolate for dipped pretzels, cookies and red vines and then puts them in the refrigerator to set.
With barely a break from a solid Christmas season — albeit a busy shopping time that was condensed into a shorter span with this past year’s holiday calendar — Flagstaff Chocolate is gearing up for Valentines Day. “So the two days before Valentine’s Day and Valentine’s Day – those are our three busiest times of the year,” said Ms. Snopek. “Christmas comes close, but it is more spread out.” Ms. Snopek added that after she bought the store she was rather surprised with the number of holidays that contribute to the Flagstaff Chocolate Compa- ny’s success. Easter, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Christmas are the biggest ones popu- lar with her local and out-of-town customers.
For Valentine’s Day, Flagstaff Chocolate sells chocolate-covered strawberries and gift boxes, licorice and more. “Last year, we went through 100 pounds of chocolate-covered strawberries and we sold 87 heart-shaped gift boxes,” noted Ms. Snopek. Flagstaff Chocolate also features an Apple of the Month. “February’s Apple of the Month: Heart Attack!” exclaimed Ms. Sno- pek. “It’s a hand-spun caramel apple coated in either white chocolate or dark chocolate then spun in Valentine sprinkles & heart gummies.”
Flagstaff Chocolate Company also sells
chocolates and other treats via their website, FlagstaffChocolates.com and enjoys a solid presence on Facebook with over 1,200 friends. However, it’s a real head scratcher to figure out who doesn’t “like” chocolate and the Flagstaff Chocolate Company, particularly once they meet Ms. Snopek and her helpful staff members including Hannah Hutch- ings and Jessica Wozniak — two of the part-time staff who smile and call them- selves “candy slaves.”
Ms. Snopek is a local businesswoman who is also happy to be a member of the Flagstaff Independent Business Alli- ance (FIBA). “I think it’s good because it’s all Flagstaff local businesses,” said Ms. Snopek, adding that FIBA provides a way for small businesses to group together to advertise their businesses on a larger scale. “They focus more on smaller busi- ness issues in their meetings.”
While her plans for this, her second year of owning and running the Flagstaff Chocolate Company include possibly testing out ways to expand online sales and researching and finding a sweet niche within a booming wedding market here in the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks — Ms. Snopek is delighted to be spending more time with family while selling handmade chocolates, plus Flag- staff’s most complete selection of im- ported licorice.
for handcrafted chocolates, ice cream and candy, visit flagstaff Chocolate Com- pany in the Old Town Shops at 120 N. Ler- oux, Suite 103 and stop by FlagstaffChoc- olates.com.
| Steele Wotkyns is an aspiring writer and principal of the public relations firm, WotkynsPRplus. steelewot3@gmail.com
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