Most of us have seen the original or the remake of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. For those who haven't, the story goes something like this: Five Children win a tour through a chocolate factory led by the owner, Willy Wonka.
The factory itself is like a fantasy world with crazy color schemes, wild inventions, secret rooms, busy oompa-loompas, and lots and lots of delectable sweets. There are so many sugary concoctions that it borders on amazing and you think 'wouldn't it be wonderful if such a place existed.'
Tucked away in the shops and suites of the Carlsbad Outlets fantasies become a reality at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Carlsbad, one of hundreds of shops nationwide.
Nut Clusters, butter creams, truffles, toffee, caramel apples and of course chocolate are but a mere drop in the bucket of the numerous confectionary delights the candy store offers, if your mouth is watering just from the mere mention of these, imagine seeing, smelling and tasting them.
"We offer samples here and, most of the time, that's all it takes to get people hooked," says owner, Douglas Gweon who has been at this current location for ten months. Prior to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Carlsbad, Gweon worked for eight years at the Rancho Santa Margarita store.
"I retired from the corporate world," said Gweon, referring to his job with Samsung, "and I needed to make a decision on what to do with the rest of my life. I wasn't ready to stop servicing people; I just wanted a change."
Gweon says he loves nothing more than to put a smile on people's face. What better way to brighten a person's day than with candy? He felt that owning a candy store was "appropriate for the type of person I am."
Most of the items that the store sells are shipped from Colorado but there are a few things that are prepared on site. Candy apples, fudge and the popular "bark", chocolate mixed with chunks of almonds, peppermint or Oreo pieces, are a few examples of items prepared in house.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a franchise business with a reputation that is synonymous with quality. Back in 1981, President and CEO Frank Crail had a dream? to raise a family in a quiet, small town environment. Not having a plan to support his dream in Durango, Colorado, he began surveying the town's local residents and merchants.
"It came down to either a car wash or a chocolate shop," recalls the father of seven. "I think I made the right choice."
Today, a shop still stands on Main Street, with its sights and smells tempting tourists and locals alike to experience a cornucopia of treats. Twenty five years later, from that tiny shop downtown, a 53,000 square foot factory located on the town's outskirts was built to supply chocolate to hundreds of franchised stores throughout the United States and the world.
The factory itself is like a fantasy world with crazy color schemes, wild inventions, secret rooms, busy oompa-loompas, and lots and lots of delectable sweets. There are so many sugary concoctions that it borders on amazing and you think 'wouldn't it be wonderful if such a place existed.'
Tucked away in the shops and suites of the Carlsbad Outlets fantasies become a reality at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Carlsbad, one of hundreds of shops nationwide.
Nut Clusters, butter creams, truffles, toffee, caramel apples and of course chocolate are but a mere drop in the bucket of the numerous confectionary delights the candy store offers, if your mouth is watering just from the mere mention of these, imagine seeing, smelling and tasting them.
"We offer samples here and, most of the time, that's all it takes to get people hooked," says owner, Douglas Gweon who has been at this current location for ten months. Prior to Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Carlsbad, Gweon worked for eight years at the Rancho Santa Margarita store.
"I retired from the corporate world," said Gweon, referring to his job with Samsung, "and I needed to make a decision on what to do with the rest of my life. I wasn't ready to stop servicing people; I just wanted a change."
Gweon says he loves nothing more than to put a smile on people's face. What better way to brighten a person's day than with candy? He felt that owning a candy store was "appropriate for the type of person I am."
Most of the items that the store sells are shipped from Colorado but there are a few things that are prepared on site. Candy apples, fudge and the popular "bark", chocolate mixed with chunks of almonds, peppermint or Oreo pieces, are a few examples of items prepared in house.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a franchise business with a reputation that is synonymous with quality. Back in 1981, President and CEO Frank Crail had a dream? to raise a family in a quiet, small town environment. Not having a plan to support his dream in Durango, Colorado, he began surveying the town's local residents and merchants.
"It came down to either a car wash or a chocolate shop," recalls the father of seven. "I think I made the right choice."
Today, a shop still stands on Main Street, with its sights and smells tempting tourists and locals alike to experience a cornucopia of treats. Twenty five years later, from that tiny shop downtown, a 53,000 square foot factory located on the town's outskirts was built to supply chocolate to hundreds of franchised stores throughout the United States and the world.