The Chicago Chocolate Co is a joint venture between the South Bend Chocolate Co (SBCC), South Bend, IN and a Chicago based entrepreneur. The company sells a broad range of boxed and individual chocolates using a café/retail store concept.

SBCC approached World Business Chicago in late 2003 with a plan to create a chain of Chocolate café/retail stores throughout the City and ultimately open a full scale chocolate production facility.

Over the following 2 years, WBC assisted SBCC with a variety of data, real estate options and locations etc. In May 2005, the Chicago Chocolate Co opened its first café/retail store at 847 West Randolph employing some 20 part-time staff and 4 full-time. The collapse of Fannie May opened a new market for the company in the corporate gift sector and consequently led to an additional 10 part-time employees.

In June 2006, the company was able to secure a vendors position at the “Taste of Chicago” festival in Grant Park. The exposure of their product range was phenomenal and sales exploded (4 times their normal monthly sales). Staff have now risen (September 2006) to 35 part-time and 12 fulltime.

In September 2006, with assistance from WBC and the City of Chicago, the Chicago Chocolate Co identified and signed a 5-year lease for 17,000 sq ft in the Stockyards planned manufacturing district, to implement Phase 1 of their plan to produce chocolates in Chicago. Chicago production of some of the product range will commence in January 2007. Initially, it will employ 6 staff and will also include outlet store. Additional production capacity will be transferred from South Bend as and when local demand increases.

The company expects to expand its stand alone café/retail stores to four by the end of 2007.