Rocky Mountain chocolate Factory

WE MOVED TO FERNIE in July of 2001 from Vancouver, BC. We had come to Fernie for a short vacation and were overwhelmed by its beauty and the friendliness of its people. After returning to Vancouver we couldn’t stop talking about Fernie. It just so happened that we were at a time in our life that we were ready for change. Our eldest son was about to enter high school and we were tired of the rat race and growing crime in the big city. So after much consideration we decided to pack up and move to the tranquility of small town Fernie. 

I took a job doing the same thing I had done for the past 18 years, working as an auto mechanic. Marilyn after many years of working as an accounting software consultant took on some small accounting and bookkeeping jobs. It was while on an injury leave from my job that Marilyn and I started talking about a long time dream of ours, to open our own business. We were adamant that we wanted to bring something new to Fernie, to add to Fernie, not to take away from another business. After many hours of research into various franchises and business opportunities, we began looking into the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory franchise. We started noticing that wherever we went people seemed to be talking about chocolate. Within a few months, we opened our own store on Victoria Avenue in downtown Fernie. The local radio station on site for the grand opening told us it was one of the most successful openings they had ever attended. It was the talk of the town!

The best part of owning your own business is that your hard work goes towards your family and can give you the opportunity of income growth in the future that you would never receive from a job. It was also a great way to meet people in the community. Very quickly we were introduced to many of the merchants and business owners in Fernie. Once, I was in the grocery store and I overheard someone say, “There’s the chocolate man”.

The flip side to this is you don’t just hang your hat at the end of the day and go home. Your business can be all consuming, especially during the start up process. Now after five years we are able to enjoy time away from the store with our family and friends. Of course you always have the business on your mind, but with the help of well trained, dedicated staff we are able to relax a little more. Fernie is growing, but at a slow, small town pace. It is sometimes challenging to find the right staff especially with the current staff shortages. This has now become the most challenging part of our business. We have seen steady growth in our business as Fernie grows toward becoming a year round destination. With new projects on the go, such as the Coal Creek Golf Resort, the Cranbrook Airport Expansion along with other developments, I feel our store will even take a leap in growth over the next few years. This can only be an encouraging factor for up and coming entrepreneurs. The main advice I’d like to share with prospective business owners is to take your time, research and determine a new niche that you could bring to Fernie. Try to fill that need instead of opening another carbon copy of something already offered by another business.

As for our future plans, we’ll continue to work at making the chocolate factory a successful and contributing member of the Fernie business community. When the right people come along, we plan to pass this venture on to other keen entrepreneurs to continue on with the success we have enjoyed over the past years.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Franchise

581 2nd Avenue
$399,000

This old-fashioned ice cream and chocolate factory in Fernie’s Historical Downtown was established in 2003 and continues to operate a growing business. Sales have been steady with this Valentine’s hitting record breaking days. Chocolate still sells in slow economic times.The current owners feel there is still room for expansion in the wholesale market and expect sales to show growth with the rise in the number of visitors to our region. A great long-term lease is in place. The present owners will assist purchasers during the transition along with a dedicated manager and staff.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was financed by Community Futures East Kootenay, a non-profit organization that provides loans to small businesses, including business purchase loans.

This is truly a turnkey operation. No experience necessary, just the desire and passion to own and operate your own business.