Store offering more than 1,500 types of treats opens in east Idaho
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REXBURG — A popular candy shop based in Durango, Colorado since the 1980s is now open in Rexburg.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory held a soft opening for their brand new 1,200 square foot Hemming Village location Tuesday at noon. Owner Sherri Fullmer tells EastIdahoNews.com several hundred customers came in the first day alone.
“It was crazy, insane,” Fullmer says. “We advertised on Facebook and Twitter and had over 8,000 hits. We had lots of people come in that day and it was constant.”
Fullmer says visiting the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Park City, Utah was an enjoyable tradition for her kids when they were young. Fullmer began the process of opening a Rexburg store in 2013. After purchasing franchising rights, the search for a location began. They signed a lease agreement with Hemming Village in February 2017.
“This spot was nothing more than a pile of dirt (at the time),” says Fullmer. “The design process took a while because we wanted a larger footprint than other locations. Many Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory locations are just a narrow hallway. We wanted to be big enough for families to come in and move around.”
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory offers 1,500 different types of treats including gourmet candy apples, fudge, chocolate and candy-coated pretzels, caramels and a bear, which is their larger version of a truffle.
“When they first started, they were making recipes and hoping they would work. Because they weren’t familiar with making chocolate (in the beginning), their pieces of chocolate ended up being larger (than traditionally sized chocolates). It was an accident that ended up being a success,” Fullmer says.
Gluten free and sugar free items are also served, as well as Reed’s Dairy Ice Cream.
“We offer free samples. People don’t have to buy anything,” Fullmer says.
Amber Guerrero, an employee at the store, says her favorite treat is the Rocky Road cluster.
“It’s the most homegrown thing here at the store — marshmallows mixed in with the chocolate. I love it,” Guerrero says. “The atmosphere is great, the owners are friendly and the employees strive to be friendly (as well). I really like being here.”
“The atmosphere in here is unlike any other chocolate store I’ve been in,” Fullmer says. “We want this to be a place where people want to come back.”
Currently there are two Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory locations in the Boise area. Fullmer says they are planning to open other locations in eastern Idaho soon, but those details are still pending. There will be an official grand opening next month. A date is still being determined.
“The whole experience has been such a pleasant one,” Fullmer says. “If people have had a stressful day and we can help make the day a little more relaxing, that’s important to us.”
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is located at 175 W. 2nd S., Suite 105 in Rexburg. Its hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
To learn more, visit their Facebook page.