Christina Pier

"I think it has a lot to do with [Tarner's] tenacity," says Christina Pier, SBCC marketing director.
...
"The Chocolate Café concept really took off," says Pier.

"All of our products are made here in South Bend," says Christina Pier, the company's marketing director.

"People like to see things actually being made.We are still a small enough company that we can bring folks through and they get to see the enrobing machines, which kind of work like a chocolate car wash where the caramels or turtles or whatever, go through and get covered in chocolate."

If you join the Inside Scoop tour, you get to make your own chocolate dipped spoon."It's very hands-on," Pier says, "and people get a kick out of it."

Another part of the tour is a short film hosted by Señor Koko Beans, a "bean" that talks.The film shows the history of chocolate and Koko shares his Top 10 Reasons to eat chocolate."The No. 1 reason for putting chocolate at the top of your to-do list," says Pier, "is that you'll get at least one thing done every day."

So far this year, more than 25,000 visitors have gone through the factory and museum."The museum has one of world's largest collections of chocolate boxes and memorabilia," Pier says.

Christina Pier, SOUTH BEND CHOCOLATE COMPANY "If you're going to eat it, you want it to taste good, so all of our sugar free products, we've actually had these for quite a while, but they are actually low-carb as well, so I know that's something people are paying more attention to."

The South Bend Chocolate Co. started its Christmas rush at the beginning of this month, adding about 30 jobs to the factory, which usually employs 35 to 40, said Christina Pier, the South Bend-based company's marketing director.

Interest has steadily increased since the tour was lengthened and made more interactive, says Christina Pier, marketing director.

"We're starting to pull in more and more people as word of mouth spreads," Pier says.

Not to mention word of nose.The most common reaction, Pier says, is "Oh my gosh, it smells wonderful in here."

For the record, Heather, sporting a plastic cap that visitors are required to wear during part of the tour, seems more taken with the visual: She is temporarily mesmerized by a TV screen that features the movie adaptation of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" -- "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," starring Gene Wilder.

How many times has she seen this 1971 film, which she has at home?"Too many times to count," she admits.
...
According to Pier, adults ask plenty of questions during the tour, which begins with information about cacao beans and the tasty tidbit that chocolate was once used as a form of currency. (Money does grow on trees, the guide quips.)

The younger visitors usually are drawn to such interactive features as dipping your own chocolate spoons.

Overall, the tour "pretty much appeals across the board," Pier says.

"We have a promotion every year that offers a one-pound assortment in boxes in a heart shape," said marketing director Christina Pier.
...
"We have gift boxes with Valentine decorations inside," said Pier."We even do drink specials in the store."

Pier said they like to have fun with the season and are available for the last-minute shoppers who come in the day of the event to purchase candy.

"People want to do something nice and kind of out of the ordinary," said Pier on what makes chocolate so popular for Valentine's Day.She said that many people go on diets after the new year and this special day gives people the chance to stop the diet and have a fun treat.

South Bend Chocolate Company representative Christina Pier explained why the additional space is needed, saying, "The reason for the expansion is, first of all, if you have ever been in the cafe on a Saturday night around 9:30 you know that we need some more seats.

South Bend Chocolate Factory Marketing Director, Christina Pier says their products will essentially, sell on their own.

"For example, if we have a family that comes in and takes a tour of the Chocolate Factory maybe at Christmas time, they are going to remember, 'Oh my gosh, those chocolates were great!Let's order some more'," said Pier.

Christina Pier, the marketing director for the South Bend Chocolate Company, says, "One of the things that Mark Tarner and Eric Moore looked at was the fact that Chicago has lost a lot of its Chicago confectionary manufacturing recently, and so they thought that they could fill a void by offering our high-quality products as well as the cafe aspect to the people of Chicago."

Christina Pier - South Bend Chocolate Company.