Hartville Chocolate Factory celebrates 40 years with giant bunny giveaway

As part of the Hartville Chocolate Factory’s celebration of 40 years in business, on Friday, April 3, they conducted a free raffle to give away a fresh, delicious, beautiful, gigantic 3-foot-tall, 20-pound semi-solid milk chocolate bunny. It was a sight to behold.

The winner was Patti Dingler. The cost of the chocolate alone was worth $170, plus the labor, and the retail value is around $300. As the bunny is made from real milk chocolate, it contains cocoa butter, not harmful oils.

Prior to the raffle, the business allowed anyone entering the store to put in one ticket per day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before Friday’s drawing. No purchase was necessary, but who could resist all of the goodies in the store? Mayor Cindy Billings did the honors of selecting the tickets. The ticket basket was filled with more than 500 entries as traffic in the store was very good leading up to Easter. The chocolates barely made it to the shelves before they were purchased.

The Hartville Chocolate Factory first opened its doors just a few weeks before Easter in 1986. Bob Barton said, “We can’t be more excited. I can’t believe it’s actually been 40 years. Thank you for your many years of love, friendship and support. We are so thankful.”

Dingler, the winner, came in to claim her prize and was absolutely thrilled. She explained that the timing was perfect. Her mother is in a nursing home serving approximately 45 residents, which she visits almost daily. She also teaches Bible studies to about 60 students from third grade through high school in the Conotton Valley Union Local School system after school on Mondays.

She plans to show the bunny to both groups, take pictures and celebrate with them, then divide it up and share it with more than 100 recipients. Barton said, “It almost seems providential. Dingler’s family and my family were from the same area of Cherokee County in the Great Smoky Mountains. In my life, many things don’t always work out as planned. It was a blessed morning.”

When a visitor enters the retail store, they take a step back in time, as it is part of the historic downtown Hartville area near the square at 114 S. Prospect St. The confectionery shop offers an old-fashioned atmosphere, tempting guests with chocolates, fudge, caramels, marshmallows, ice cream and more. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Barton also decided to give away four prizes. Mayor Billings pulled three additional entries. Second prize was an approximately 4-pound milk chocolate rabbit, and the third- and fourth-place prizes were 2-pound milk chocolate rabbits. The winners were Michelle Labor, Ben Spahawk and Richard Stefanaci. Cindy West, office manager, and Brianna Soto helped during the ceremony.

The 40th anniversary celebration is not over. Cindy West suggested that, to thank customers who have supported the business over the years, the shop will continue the celebration by giving away free chocolate samples April 24-25. Everyone is welcome.

Some fun facts about chocolate: The average American eats about 12 pounds of chocolate each year. When properly stored, chocolate has a shelf life of at least two years. If broken down and stored in airtight containers at room temperature, that’s all that is required. In addition to eating and sharing it with kids, grandkids and others, some can also be used for baking.