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Springdale Candy Company
This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
How in the world did two lifelong career engineers from back East end up owning a chocolate, ice cream and candy shop right outside beautiful Zion National Park? Of course, they took a vacation. And Kim and Dave Watts became the new owners of Springdale Candy Company in Springdale, Utah.
It started about 18 months ago when the Watts visited Zion National Park. They were checking out locations to possibly retire in 10 years. Instead, they fell in love with the area, the people and the chocolate shop that was up for sale. So, they bought Springdale Candy Company and moved from their home in Ohio to become the new owners.
Dave says running Springdale Candy Company has been an enjoyable experience. That's because everybody is happy on vacation with chocolate, ice cream and candy, so it's a positive atmosphere. Most of the chocolates are hand dipped, including truffles, caramels, toffee, fudge and turtles. And they're made fresh on site. Kim and Dave make it fun with inventive ways to market their goods, like putting smiley faces on chocolate-dipped Oreos.
One of their innovations is the Canyon Crispie, which is similar to a rice crispy treat but includes layers of both caramel and peanut butter nougat. After they created the treat, they couldn't figure out what to name it. So, they decided to get visitors to nearby Zion National Park involved and put a picture of the treat out to ask for suggestions. Many people saw the picture, would think about it while out on the trails or at dinner, then come back and make a recommendation. This had impacts since it also introduced more people to their candy company.
But a huge benefit that Kim and Dave discovered is how they love working together while running Springdale Candy Company. And after celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary, they couldn't be happier with the transition from engineers to chocolatiers.
As a community-focused organization, Zions Bank has been providing value to the communities in which we live and serve for over 140 years. Member FDIC.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Springdale Candy Company 855A Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 435-772-0485 www.springdalecandycompany.com
