Christian Becker owns a chocolate factory in Bonneville County called Thor’s Chocolate, where he makes his unique brand of German chocolate treats. See what it’s like in the video above. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com
Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Thor’s Chocolate has an array of new products in collectible packaging
IDAHO FALLS – A bean-to-bar chocolate-making venture that Christian Becker started doing as a hobby out of his home in 2023 is now a luxury brand that employs 15 people.
Thor’s Chocolate, a small shop off 65th South in Bonneville County that gets its name from the Nordic god of thunder, strength and protection, recently rebranded into a deluxe German chocolate company. What initially started as a manufacturer of several flavors of chocolate bars now offers an expanded product line that includes chocolate-covered pretzels, marshmallows, almonds, cinnamon treats, hot chocolate and more.
All items are sold online and at local farmers markets.
Each item is packaged in collectible wrapping with the image of Thor or Freya, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war and magic.
“We’ve stepped it up this year to … make it a luxury, high-end brand. We’ve spent a lot of time on the design and making it look really nice,” Becker tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Regarding the logo, Becker calls it a bold choice that honors his European roots. Becker grew up in Germany, where Thor is a prominent figure. He picked a name he felt would be memorable to customers.
“If I read you 20 different chocolate names and you heard Thor in the lineup … you’d probably remember Thor,” Becker says. “It stands out.”
The boldness of the branding is something Becker is taking to heart. He and his team recently started selling a customized line of chocolate in West Yellowstone, Montana. He sells product in Jackson, Wyoming, as well, and is working on customized wrapping for them.
Although anyone can buy Becker’s chocolate, his emphasis is corporate gifting. Business owners can buy a box of chocolate to give to their employees. The box is specially designed with the Thor imaging.
“It’s really quite stunning,” says Becker. “We want to hit the sweet spot of really making it deluxe and unique, and I think we’ve done that with this product line.”
Take a look in the video above.
The idea for Thor’s Chocolate is something Becker has been kicking around for about 30 years, but it’s only in the last three years that he started getting serious about it.
Becker grew up eating a lot of chocolate in Germany. German and other European chocolate is a premier product for people all over the world, and when Becker got to the U.S., he noticed something was different about Hershey’s and other American brands.
That’s what prompted him to start making his own chocolate.
“I resisted the urge to even sell it at all,” Becker recalls. “I was just giving it to people, and they loved it. People finally convinced me to turn this into something.”
He never anticipated it would take off as much as it has.
He’s quickly outgrowing the space at his home and is hoping to build a new space for his factory soon. Beyond that, he wants to increase the number of stores where his products are sold and promote the idea of corporate gifting to other business owners.
Thanks to the community’s support, Becker says he feels empowered to continue “going for it” and making his passion project a successful business.
“We’re not quite ready to quit our day job, but hopefully we’ll be there soon,” says Becker.
BIZ BITS
Women’s boutique and clothing store under new ownership
REXBURG – Love Olive Co, a beloved women’s boutique known for its modest and original fashion collections, is entering a new era.
On July 1, founders Bryce and Stephanie Tarnasky sold the business to new owners Matt and Mary Maroon. The agreement includes all three retail store locations — Rexburg, Idaho Falls and Layton, Utah — as well as the online business operating from its warehouse in Rigby.
Although it was an emotional decision to sell the business after 15 years of ownership, Bryce and Stephanie couldn’t be happier about the Maroons taking over.
The Maroons are business professors at Brigham Young University-Idaho and they’re excited to join the Love Olive family.
As the business continues to grow, the Maroons say customers can expect the same personalized shopping experiences, along with thoughtfully curated collections and vibrant online community throughout the transition.
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