The Royal Chocolate acquired a candy deal with by being named Retail Alliance’s Retailer of the Yr 2010.

“It was completely superb,” mentioned Brenda Tusing, co-owner of the Virginia Seashore retailer. “We have been simply shocked as a result of this was the primary 12 months we have been eligible and there have been so many good retailers on the market. We have been actually stunned, flattered and touched.”

Retail Alliance selected winners primarily based on their capacity to be a “wholesome, viable operation” and a enterprise that would “display an understanding of retailing and its eccentricities.”

The enterprise, which opened in 2006, can also be co-owned by Terry Restin. The duo has spearheaded the chocolate store right into a profitable enterprise on the Southside.

4 years in the past, Tusing and Restin have been in search of a brand new profession alternative after they discovered a chocolate store that was going out of enterprise.

“The enterprise on the market was a franchise,” Tusing mentioned. “We did not wish to do a franchise as a result of we needed the flexibility to create our personal setting. There have been issues creatively that we might have preferred to do in a enterprise that you just could not do as a franchise.”

The chocolate store gives treats to fulfill each indulgence together with individualized present baskets.

The cabinets are lined with a wide range of candies, chocolate strawberries, chocolate-covered pretzels and the store’s signature connoisseur apples, which embody the apple pie apple, a caramel apple rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon, lined in Belgian-white chocolate, then drizzled with extra cinnamon and brown sugar.

“Our greatest sellers are the connoisseur apples and a line of royal candies made right here,” Tusing mentioned. “We even have quite a lot of objects so that you can construct a present basket. We all the time discover the perfect in chocolate. We do not carry one thing we or our workers would not get pleasure from.”

Constructing the model and getting the phrase out has been process No. 1. The house owners realized early that opening a retailer would not assure a mad rush of consumers.

Royal Chocolate participates in group occasions together with Candy Reminiscences with the Alzheimer’s Affiliation and Tour de Delicacies of Norfolk for the Kids’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. They’ve a sales space at Outdated Virginia Seashore Farmer’s Market at Croc’s.

“We exit of the shop to occasions to extend consciousness of the place we’re,” Tusing mentioned. “We do company enterprise occasions and gifting for them. We additionally do wholesaling to extend our visibility and drive visitors to our retailer.”

Not relying closely on promoting to advertise their firm, the house owners benefit from the face-to-face interplay with potential clients.

“We will go to occasions and discuss to folks and allow them to know all the issues we do on the retailer like fondue events or chocolate tastings,” Tusing mentioned. “It offers us a greater alternative to share this with folks once we’re out. I believe our advertising and marketing fashion is slightly completely different than most.”

Because the economic system continues to be an impediment for all companies, Royal Chocolate has fought the battle by setting cheap pricing for his or her merchandise and internet hosting completely different occasions.

“We’ve educated those who now we have a value level that can work for any price range,” Tusing mentioned. “We’ve equipped our chocolate- tasting occasions and promoted them extra. We do an e-mail blast to greater than 4,500 folks.

“It is all about discovering methods to get the message to our clients and potential clients that we’re right here and that we can assist them,” she mentioned.

The most effective a part of their job is tasting chocolate, going to sweet expos and discovering new combos of candies, which embody spicy, salty and balsamic vinegar flavors.

“The chances of taste combos are distinctive,” Tusing mentioned. “We’re all the time getting new candies in from distributors who come to us with new combos.”

Working within the chocolate enterprise has been an exquisite expertise for the house owners.

“I can not clarify how nice it’s when folks are available in our door,” Tusing mentioned. “Even after they have a frown on their face, after they scent the chocolate they smile.”

And the temptation overwhelms the house owners as properly.

“Terry and I eat chocolate daily,” Tusing mentioned, laughing. “We mentioned we weren’t going to eat chocolate every day however that is a lie.” nib