Staff Writer
Unique creations help chocolate store stand out
Customers may be hesitant at first to try some of the unique chocolate creations that come from Renee Livengood’s kitchen at Heavenly Chocolate Creations, but most are back for more after they get a taste.
“That is good,” said Jill McAlpin, a sales rep for Jelly Belly, after tasting the chocolate-covered bacon that has gained a following at the store. “It’s got that salty sweetness.”
Livengood admitted her inspiration can come from a lot of different sources. She credited the Food Network with the idea for the chocolate-covered bacon. She started making it after seeing it on the cable channel.
“I had a customer that asked me to dip some venison in chocolate. You never know where the ideas are going to come from,” said Livengood, and then one hit her. “That’s it, the next creation is going to be chocolate covered beef jerky.”
Other oddities include a bag of “white trash,” a mixture of pretzels, Cheerios and Chex cereal covered in white chocolate, and cheese cake-stuffed strawberries dipped in chocolate.
“I’ve got customers who will order the strawberries a week to five days before Valentine’s Day to make sure they get them,” said Livengood.
She was a little afraid of what the availability and price of the strawberries were going to be after the freezing temperatures damaged the crops in Southern Florida, but she will be able to provide plenty of chocolate-covered strawberries, and cherries, for her customers.
“It hasn’t been as horrible as I thought it was going to be,” said Livengood. “They only jumped up about $8 a flat from last year. The problem has been finding them, but I have a distributor that has been able to supply them for me.”
A regular flat of strawberries can weigh up to 20 pounds, and Livengood normally goes through between 40-50 flats each Valentine’s Day.
Livengood and her “staff” will be dipping strawberries all weekend, which will include from 1-6 p.m. Sunday.
“We aren’t normally open on Sunday, but it’s Valentine’s Day,” said Livengood.
She claims herself as the only true “employee” of the company after letting go her only other “employee” because she couldn’t promise her regular hours. The retired nurse is by no means a one-woman workforce; she does utilize the talents of her family and friends. The kitchen crew Wednesday consisted of a friend from the restaurant next door, her mother and her niece. Her husband usually takes off from work to make deliveries on Valentine’s day and his father helps with the deliveries.
With such a high demand for nurses in today’s market, Livengood explained why she chose to retire and start her own busi-ness.
“I used to make some candies in my kitchen at home,” said Livengood. “Then I got this wild idea that Peterbrooke needed some competition. I don’t want to get that big though. I won’t franchise unless my kids want to get into the business.”
Livengood has four children, two boys, ages 18 and 20, and two girls, ages 11 and 13.
Heavenly Chocolate Creations is located at 4251 Lenox Ave. near the intersection with Edgewood Avenue and they can be reached at 695-1665.
356-2466