Candy Apple Inspired Owner To Open Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Franchise

ANN ARBOR (Friday, April 11, 2008) - It's called "mountain size" - and basically it means really big candied apples and chocolate treats.

Nearly all the confections sold at downtown Ann Arbor's new Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory are just a bit larger than what you're likely to find at other candy stores. The trademark is, of course, a throwback to the company's Colorado heritage - for example, you won't find peanut butter cups here, but you can buy a peanut butter bucket.

Rocky Mountain opened last week on East Liberty Street in Wizzywig's former space.

"All of our chocolate is handmade, even hand-boxed," said Angela Eddins, who owns the franchise store with her husband, Joseph, and her parents Carol and Robert Fletcher.

Its signature candy apples come in a variety of flavors, ranging from "Death by chocolate" and "Heath candy bar explosion" to plain caramel and red candy-coated. Also offered are fudge, truffles, dipped orange peels, fruit fondue cups, coffee and frozen bananas.
Leisa Thompson, The Ann Arbor NewsThere are 20 different varieties of caramel apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The store also sells Washtenaw Dairy ice cream and a large selection of sugar-free chocolate treats.

It was an "apple pie" candy apple that hooked Eddins and got the whole thing started for her family. A stay-at-home mother of six, Eddins was looking for a business opportunity. Her sister, who had recently moved back to Michigan from Arizona, raved about Rocky Mountain Chocolate. She brought a candy apple back for Eddins one day from a metro Detroit store - a Granny Smith apple covered in caramel, white confection, brown sugar and cinnamon.

"I bit into that apple pie apple and thought, this is it - Ann Arbor needs this," said Eddins, who has a bachelor's degree in urban planning from Eastern Michigan University.

That was two years ago. Construction on the 1,500 square-foot space on East Liberty took seven months. There are about 18 seats inside the shop, which is the company's eighth Michigan store.

Truffles sell for $2.75 each and assorted chocolates sell for $23.95 a pound. Gift boxes are available and the store will cater for special events.

Address: 521 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor.

Phone: 734-997-7100.

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

Web site: www.rmcf.com.

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