Bringing chocolate to the city of lakes

It takes just one bite of good chocolate to change your day, says Audrey Little, who opened the door of her new downtown business, A Little Confection, for the first time yesterday. The store specializes in high quality handmade treats.

There's something inherently decadent about sweets. They're food items, technically speaking, but they're eaten solely for pleasure, not for nutrition.

Little, who said she has always loved to cook, first started making chocolates when she changed careers and began managing a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory outlet. "I found a passion — I love making chocolates." As much as she enjoyed creating the confections, she began to chafe against the company rules as her expertise and desire to experiment grew. So, she decided to open up a shop of her own. "If I'm doing this for someone else, why can't I do it for myself."

One of Little's favorite things about working in a chocolate shop — besides all the chocolate, of course — is watching the joy and childlike excitement that overtakes the customers when they walk through the front door and take the in aroma of freshly made chocolates. "You can hear them breathe it in," she said.

The next stage is generally overload. When the customers see the many tempting items, they become overwhelmed and need to be "brought back to Earth." Little does this by offering a sample bite. This stimulation has the effect of grounding and calming the customers. It also gives the customers an idea of what they might like. In Little's experience, the item that is used for samples usually turns out to be the big seller for that day.

She's found that people approach chocolate and other treats differently than they approach, for example, a turkey sandwich. Research has linked dark chocolate with positive affects on the cardiovascular system, but that's not why people love the stuff so much. A piece of fine chocolate is eaten solely for its flavor, and tasting it takes time and attention. That attention reveals a flavor that is both exciting and comforting. "There's a way that chocolate enhances your day. When you're having a bad day, it's that one thing that you just sit back and enjoy. It can change the tone for the rest of the day."

To complement the high quality of ingredients, Little's business plan is to wow customers with a level of service not normally seen in today's market. "We understand that quality and customer service is everything that people are lacking today."

A Little Confection is located at 609 Main Street, and specializes in chocolates, fudge and candies. Little plans to soon serve coffee and perhaps other beverages, and ice cream in warm weather.