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You’re in for a Treat at The Chocolate House
business, chocolate, food, kathy dowdy, national confectionery association, the chocolate house,
Before opening The Chocolate House, Kathy Dowdy immersed herself in candy.
One of Dowdy’s first moves toward opening the business was gaining membership in the National Confectionery Association and signing up for workshops to learn everything there is to know about the candy business.
Dowdy traveled to Vermont to become a chocolatier and to another symposium that taught gift-basket creation.
“I wanted to learn what I could before I jumped in,” says Dowdy, who fulfilled her lifelong dream of operating a candy store with her shop’s grand opening in May 2007.
The Chocolate House has quickly become a destination for residents of the region looking to satisfy a sweet tooth. Customers are enthusiastic about Dowdy’s array of confections, including handmade truffles, clusters, turtles and exotic treats, such as gourmet pretzels dipped in caramel and chocolate and rolled in nuts. She also offers “the biggest gourmet apples you’ve ever seen.”
Dowdy purchases the French chocolates of E. Guittard, then tempers and melts them herself. This hands-on approach is part of what makes her confections so tasty.
“I wanted something special for Elizabeth City.”
For now, Dowdy is operating The Chocolate House as a simple storefront business, though she hopes to expand in the future into areas such as wholesaling and Web retailing.
“I’m just getting a feel for the market,” she says.
The Chocolate House, at 217 N. Water St., is open Monday through Saturday.
Story by Warren Denney, Cindy Sanders and Dan Markham
