Many chocolate shops get cleared out on Valentine's Day as so many people enjoy giving the traditional gift to their loved ones. But what happens when there's not enough chocolate? Or at the end of the rush, there's too much left over? Emily Lorsch spoke with one local chocolate store owner who tells us how she prepares for and gets through the holiday.
Valentine's Day may be over, but the hard work that goes into the chocolate-crazed day is fresh in the minds of chocolate shop workers. 'Somethin' Sweet Gourmet' Owner Elizabeth Bachura said she had all hands on deck, and stocked up on normal in house chocolates.
"Because that's really what everyone is coming for. They're not coming for the novelty as much as much as they're coming for our regular favorites that we always have on hand,"Bachura said.
Although they do make heart-shaped items special for the holiday, employee Kim Crocker said most customers prefer more personalized sweets for their sweeties."They're not just getting something that someone else can get. It's something unique, it's something specialized, it's something just for them."
They say preparing for Valentine's Day can be very difficult. "It's a total guessing game, every year is different," added Bachura.
But Bachura said even though they're in the dark about how much chocolate they'll need, since they make 90-percent of their chocolates in house, they have a quick and easy solution. "We never know. We just will try and get as much done but then if someone comes in and we're out of it, we'll quickly make it for them."
Working at the 'Somethin' Sweet Gourmet' chocolate shop the week of Valentine's Day is a unique experience, according to Crocker. "It's great seeing people happy. It's great to make someone happy."
And that's how she decided to spend her Valentine's Day. "Even my husband who I was supposed to be spending time with as a Valentine came here with me to spend time here giving to other people so it was really great. We enjoyed it actually more than going out to dinner or spending time just him and I," Crocker added. It brightened her day to help people arrange gifts for others. "We had a woman that came in and she was buying something for her 72-year-old grandmother to give to her boyfriend."
Although both women loved sweeteningValentine's Day, after working 14 hour shifts all week, they were happy to finally get a break and sleep in on Sunday. It was a quick breather before they start preparing for Saint Patrick's Day and Easter.
Bachura said any leftover heart-shaped items either get discounted after Valentine's Day or re-purposed for future sales.
Source: http://www.twcnews.com/nys/binghamton/news/2015/02/15/chocolate-shops-recover-from-valentine-s-day-rush.html
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