Martie Callaghan
writesolution@direcway.com
8 Ackerman Court
Stevensville, MD 21666
410-604-0306
866-891-0306 (toll free)
------------------------------------------
The Sweet Spot: Chesapeake Chocolates

Suzy Gregson makes an interesting observation. "Only happy people shop in  a chocolate store!" Perhaps that is part of the reason why Chesapeake Chocolates - basically a one-woman operation - has been so successful since opening in Stevensville nearly a year ago.

The other part has to be the inventory: solid chocolate novelties in every shape imaginable and cream truffles that melt in your mouth are a few of the varieties made fresh, right here, every day. Other popular items include assorted filled chocolates, cherries, caramels and fudge, flavored gourmet coffees, flavored popcorn, Jordan almonds and jelly beans. For extra
special occasions, Gregson offers fresh fruit (strawberries, orange sections) dipped in chocolate.

Among the best sellers are the solid chocolate novelties in the shape of crabs and fish - things that look very "eastern shore" or local. Gregson features a real "chocolate lab" for the hunting enthusiast and a broad  assortment of other animals, as well. Another favorite is the 3- pack of solid chocolate golf balls. In the business community, custom company logos made into coins or bars or molded into shapes make unique gifts for customers. Musical instruments, vehicles, even computer disks are among the possibilities. If an item is not on display, chances are there is a mold available through a catalog that can be special ordered. Sugar free chocolate, a hard-to-find item, has brought a lot of repeat business to the store.

For Gregson, owning a chocolate shop is every bit as good as it sounds! "I go to the trade shows and I eat myself silly and I order what I like!" she laughs. "It's like adult trick or treat twice a year! So, I can honestly say I eat everything I sell!"

Originally from Rockville, MD, Gregson began preparing for her trade very early. Her mother was a teacher with a degree in home economics. "We always did a lot of cooking with our mother and actually learned a lot of preparation and safe food handling at home," Gregson says. At 17, she took her first job in the chocolate business with Kron Chocolatier in Washington,
DC, where she stayed 23½ years. "It was a good job with good pay and good benefits," she recalls. "I had a good boss who later became my partner." Because the store was a franchise, the owner had been trained in New York by the parent company. "She showed me how to do everything she could do," Gregson says. "Over the years, as our expertise developed, we started doing some of our own molding in that store and started separating ourselves from the franchise." Gregson became a full partner in the business about five years ago when her boss presented her with 40% ownership as a birthday gift. "She made me a
partner with the stipulation that when she was ready to sell the business, I either sold my shares or I bought the business," Gregson says.

When her partner decided to retire about two years ago, Gregson chose to sell her shares rather than buy the store. By that time, she was living in the community of Bay City here on Kent Island and the store was in a Washington, DC mall. "I didn't like having to adhere to the mall hours," she says, "and I didn't want the responsibility of a store 50 miles away." Instead, she seized the opportunity to open her own store just five minutes away from her home. "This is what I knew how to do," she says, "and I felt
I could do it here on Kent Island."

Chesapeake Chocolates has been well received by local residents. "The customers here are great," says Gregson. "I feel like I've made new friends." She seems unconcerned that she is working seven days a week and has given up the luxury of taking vacations. "You see, this is just all so natural for me!" she says. Possibly next summer, between Memorial Day and
Labor Day, the shop will be closed on Mondays. Meanwhile, Gregson admits that she did enjoy being off on Thanksgiving and Christmas and is looking forward to Easter Sunday.

When it comes to chocolate, Gregson says, you really get what you pay for. "If you buy drug store candy, you're going to get drug store candy. If you go to a specialty shop, you are going to get better quality." What about those candies that come in fabric boxes tied with gold ribbon? "A lot of what you pay for, in my opining, is the packaging," Gregson says. "It almost costs more than the chocolate."

Chesapeake Chocolates provides a sweet solution to the packaging situation. Gregson featured heart shaped boxes made of chocolate and filled with candies for Valentine's Day. For Easter and other occasions, she offers baskets made of chocolate. One of her favorite projects was a large chocolate basket filled with chocolate-dipped fresh fruit which she created for a wedding reception.

Over the years, Gregson has learned which kinds of projects are doable andwhich are not. "If something is impossible to start with, I pretty much say it's impossible," she says. Some things may just be too labor intensive or too fragile for shipping because there is no suitable container.

A corporate mailing last year was Chesapeake Chocolates' largest order to date. A business client called just 10 days before Christmas and asked Gregson if there was time to do a mailing of 20 one-pound solid chocolate logo bars. "I wasn't going to say 'no,'" she recalls. "I told her to fax me the names and addresses and what she would like me to put on the gift cards. Then she called back and said she really needed 80 pieces." Making the chocolate took about a day and a half. Each bar was wrapped, boxed in a wooden gift crate, bubble wrapped and prepared for mailing. The entireprocess took three to four days from the time the order was placed. "I'm really fast at what I do!" Gregson says.

In the shop, that is. Gregson recalls that it took her seven years to gether certificate in business management from Chesapeake College, "...from the time I was 30 to 37," she says, "taking just one course a semester... There were just so many things to learn - accounting, marketing, production...." Gregson kept many of her textbooks for reference. "Even though I have a CPA
[now], if there is something I'm thinking about, I can refer to my old textbook and talk to him with a little bit of knowledge."

After hours, Gregson relaxes with her dog or some yard work or sewing and she still enjoys cooking at home. "My boyfriend and I used to go drag racing a lot," she adds. "He has the fast car, the big car trailer - the whole works! I would like to see us do that again, but I'll have to wait until my nieces and nephews can come in and work on a Saturday."

Chesapeake Chocolates' first anniversary is fast approaching. "Just being where I am today, almost hitting my year anniversary, is my most rewarding accomplishment," says Gregson. She will likely mark the occasion with a mailing to customers, inviting them to come in and help her celebrate. Her warm hospitality, however, is not reserved for special occasions. "I like to give everybody a sample when they come in the door," she says, "if not the truffles, then something else so they can taste. Sometimes we do up a
pot of the coffee and give out coffee samples."

Truffle and coffee samples aside, the cheerful colors, the tempting displays and the sweet aroma of freshly made candy provide an inviting atmosphere. Chesapeake Chocolates is located in the Kent Island Shopping Center. Call 410-643-7884.