If it is true that you are judged by the company you keep, then Chocolate Pizza Company can feel very good about its chocolate brand because our handcrafted, gourmet chocolate specialties are found in some very good places. We are a growing chocolate brand that has demonstrated that its products are right at home in some of the best retailers in the country.
For example, Fortune magazine’s 2017 list of the Best Companies to Work For ranks Wegmans Food Markets at #2 behind only Google. We are talking rarified air – elite among elites, not just as a grocer but as a total organization. It is an incredible accolade that is well deserved and one reason we are exceptionally proud that Wegmans carries our chocolate brand during the holidays. To be the best, you work with the best, and to have our signature product, Chocolate Pizza, on the shelves at every Wegmans is an honor for Chocolate Pizza Company. It is extra sweet that, like us, Wegmans’ roots are in Upstate New York. Watch for Chocolate Pizza at your local Wegmans this holiday season and be sure to thank them for supporting a local Upstate New York business by carrying our chocolate brand.
We do business with another big name on that Fortune magazine list who comes in at #87 – Sheetz. Founded in 1952 by Bob Sheetz and headquartered now in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz operates over 500 gas and convenience stores in the mid-Atlantic region. The company’s stated mission is to deliver “fast, friendly service and quality products” to an on-the-go customer base. Sheetz has sold Chocolate Pizza Company’s Peanut Butter Sparklers for years and it has introduced thousands of people to our chocolate brand. We had a customer in our Marcellus store recently who was visiting from West Virginia and who told us that they are Sparkler Super Fans! Seems they make a habit of regularly driving to every Sheetz store in their area and buying-out the Peanut Butter Sparklers! We love that kind of loyalty! We’re proud to be one of the quality products Sheetz brings to their customers at more than 500 locations in 6 states.
Hallmark is synonymous with creativity, quality and service in the gift card and all occasion markets. This iconic organization took home 12 LOUIE awards this year in New York City at their industry’s version of “Oscar night.” Hallmark designs for holidays and all occasion cards topped over 1,000 competitive entries and they remain the marquee name in the marketplace for quality retail gifts and cards. They also carry an assortment of Chocolate Pizza Company products at over 500 Gold Crown stores in 43 states including Chocolate Pizza Slices. Hallmark is one of the most sought-after retailers in the country for manufacturers of any product and we are proud to say we have been working with them for years. When customers call us from anywhere and ask who carries our products near where they live, our first response is always to check with their local Hallmark store.
Closer to home here, we have another nationally recognized organization that also counts Chocolate Pizza Company among its vendors. Beak & Skiff Orchards was named the #1 – yes, the top, the best – orchard in America by USA Today. What a huge honor and to think they are literally down the road from Chocolate Pizza Company’s facility. The 116-year old, family-owned business won the honor in 2015 and 2017 (the last 2 times USA Today asked their readers to vote on this category) and we could not be prouder of them. We are also thrilled that Beak & Skiff is one of our best customers, carrying a large assortment of our gourmet chocolate specialties. Their beautiful display of our chocolate brand is a treat for us to see every time we visit their impressive complex.
Of course, we haven’t even begun to name all the other outstanding organizations that sell our gourmet chocolates or use us for important events. In our own backyard, we could include top national universities like Syracuse and Cornell and a host of award-winning wineries throughout the Finger Lakes.
Here’s a cool fact – when Ryan became owner in 2010 Chocolate Pizza Company had exactly zero – that’s nada, zilch – wholesale accounts. Today, seven years later, Chocolate Pizza Company products can be found in thousands of retail locations nationwide. What that speaks to is a company on the move, products that are unique, delicious and impressive and an emerging chocolate brand that will continue to show up on the shelves of more and more elite organizations.
