Villagers Support Grocer’s Daughter
The origin of the phrase “it takes a village” is attributed to a proverb that exists in several African languages. It reflects the emphasis African cultures place on family and community.
This now widely used phrase is also attributable to many small business clients of Venture North Funding and Development, a nonprofit provider of low-cost capital and no cost consultation in northwest Michigan. The majority of their clients average less than nine employees and depend on families and their communities to grow and prosper.
It is certainly a fit for Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate of Empire, a maker of premium chocolate confections like truffles and caramels, bars, bark, drink mix, baking powder and specialty chocolates. It’s a business built by three women along with colleagues including those in Africa and Ecuador where farmers and families grow and harvest the precious cacao that is converted into knock your socks off confections, all produced by a loving, fun-seeking Grocer’s Daughter team at their headquarters, nested in the shadow of Sleeping Bear Dunes.
“We strive to be thoughtful stewards of our resources,” says Jody Hayden, co-owner of Grocer’s Daughter with husband DC. “We are students of chocolate and are in this business together with every customer and team member as well as friends, families, communities and businesses that we count on to supply cacao from far-off regions.”
Hayden, a consummate entrepreneur, recently expanded in Empire to include a Gelato and Sweets Shop that features housemade gelato, sorbet, cookies, affogatos, floats, shakes and more for their 15,000+ yearly patrons.
But all is not well in the world of chocolate.
“The cacao industry is in an unprecedented crisis with prices increasing from $2,300 metric ton to $12,000 per metric ton in four months,” says Hayden. It’s due to a three-year supply downturn along with extreme climate events that have wiped out hundreds of thousands of acres of cocoa. Speculators and political unrest are also dramatically influencing day-to-day price fluctuations.”
“We’re seeing wonderful organizations, like the KANY Women’s Cooperative of the Ivory Coast, undercut in the pricing war, unable to provide much-needed income to local farming families,” she said. “The instability in pricing has also led some to not honor purchase contracts and there has been illicit smuggling of cacao across borders. All of this presents severe threats to the worldwide supply of cocoa unlike those we’ve ever experienced.”
Ever resourceful, Hayden sought to secure chocolate supply for the next 18 months, relying on cash flow from her business and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) of $110,000.
Above: Shoppers peruse the assortment of goodies for sale at Grocer's Daughter Chocolate - A delectable display of truffles and caramels - Beloved Grocer's Daughter employee, Kara Keenan, gets a surprise birthday 'shout out' from renowned magician Michael Trixx!
To guard against potential delay in processing the EIDL application, Hayden turned to Venture North for a bridge loan of $50,000 to secure a 27,000-pound cocoa shipment. The loan was approved and closed by Venture North in one week. Melissa Fruge, Regional Manager in Northern Michigan for U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, assisted by contacting the SBA.
“Jody, D.C. and the extended family of Grocer’s Daughter are rock stars,” said Laura Galbraith who has presided over more than 170 low-cost loans of over $10 million that have leveraged over $40 million more within Venture North’s 10-county region. “Collectively, they set a high bar for small businesses everywhere – their stewardship of their business reflects long-term thinking toward a level of success and prosperity for all – including their diverse team of employees and the cooperatives and incubators they are supporting in far-off cacao growing regions.”
One such employee is Kara Keenan, age 23, who Hayden says can “do everything” at Grocer’s Daughter Gelato Shop.
“I enjoy being part of the destination,” Kara says. “Jody sets the rhythm for us to love our job and workplace and serve every customer with what they love the best. Making people happy is such a great thing and I learn more about how to do that every day.”
Kara says she enjoys doing Gelato Shop jobs from serving customers to handling packaging to helping train and manage staff. Her one wish: “like now, always doing a job I love.”
Whether it is Kara and the Empire Grocer’s Daughter team, their legion of happy customers or cocoa suppliers and their families or people like Laura, Melissa and colleagues with SBA, there is a big, growing and diverse troop of family members – driving toward success and prosperity in an uncertain world – always with the long view in mind.