Richmond Area Business Association

CHOCOLATE WALK MAKES FOR SWEET SUCCESS        
By Amy Klinger

On Saturday, August 1^st, downtown Richmond held what is expected to be the first-annual Richmond Chocolate Walk.  Designed as a fun event to encourage residents and visitors to discover and enjoy Richmond's retail and dining establishments, the Chocolate Walk's ticket holders, with punch-card and map in hand, visited the 20 participating businesses, where they could sample a unique chocolate treat-from divine confections and creative pastries to artisan delights and hand-made favorites.  Once a sample had been received, the participating business stamped the card and the visitor walked to the next venue for their next sample, and so on.  The route stretched from the Richmond Animal Hospital to Unleashed Pet Food and Supplies.

By all accounts, the Chocolate Walk was a terrific success.  Participants enthusiastically devoured, or opted to take home, a wide variety of confections while taking note of the offerings all that Richmond businesses offer.  Business owners were pleased to see new faces checking out their business and, in several cases, making purchases or promises to come back.  Chocolate providers, who were able to attend, reported making good sales leads and connections.

Volunteers had a good time talking with visitors about chocolate and the town; they received great feedback from visitors, including one pair of folks from Boston who asked to get on a mailing list to be notified "when next year's walk is happening." OneRichmond, as well, received several positive emails expressing great appreciation for the event.  All signs, so far, indicate this will likely become an annual event-hopefully, one that only gets bigger and better in time.

That said, thanks are definitely in order to the following businesses, volunteers, and organizations, for their time and support in making this fun and valuable event possible:  Amarah's Chocolates, Sally Bohen, Bridge Street Café, Bridge Street Hair, Mary and Reilly Butler, Sue Carpenter, Crimson Poppy, Dan's Chocolates, The Grange, Isaac's Antiques, John's Shoe Shop North, Justin Bull Accounting, Krin's Bakery, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Laughing Moon Chocolates, Betty Mahoney, Melissa Meece, My Little Cupcake, On the Rise Bakery, OneRichmond, Linda Parent, Sue Pochop, RATC Nest, Rex's Outrageous, RABA, Richmond Animal Hospital, Richmond Beverage, Richmond Corner Market, Richmond Home Supply, Richmond Victorian Inn, Round Church, Snaffle Sweets, Snowflake Chocolates, Sonoma Station, Stargazer Gifts & Toys, Sweet Hearts of Vermont, Toscano Café Bistro, Unleashed Pet Food & Supply, USDA, Connie van Eeghen, Village Bicycles, Vermont Brownie Company, Vermont Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Vermont Cookie Love.