- Karl and Heather Hanover, owners of Hanover's Chocolate in St. Johns, are gearing up for the busy season by making thousands of chocolates a day.
- The Hanovers' 33-year journey started with a passion for making chocolate mints using mint from St. Johns, creating a unique product loved by many.
Watch the chocolate-making process and more in the video above.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The clock is ticking on the holiday shopping season... and our neighborhoods are full of spots that are uniquely Mid-Michigan. I'm Russell Shellberg, here at Hanover in St. Johns. Let's take a look at how they're getting ready for the week ahead...
Gears in motion as Christmas approaches...
While many are out buying gifts, Karl and Heather Hanover are doing a different type of preparation...
Heather Hanover, Owner, Hanover's Chocolate
"We usually make about 15,000 a day," said Heather Hanover, Co-owner of Hanover's Chocolate.
Thousands of chocolates. However, it took a while to get to this point...
"We started small. We thought that would be a good side business, and it just grew from there," said Hanover.
In 1991, Karl and Heather started their chocolate journey, asking themselves, "Why doesn't anyone make chocolate mints with mint from St. Johns?" That question sparked a passion project that has now lasted 33 years...
"I'm a big tradition person. I like traditional Christmas, traditional things, and I like that for some people it's a tradition every year to get their Hanover's chocolates," said Hanover.
The Hanovers told me the chocolate-making process usually takes around 4 hours... and as I watched, it looked easy enough, so I decided to give Heather a break.
But when Heather jumped back in, her expertise shone as she scrolled Facebook and sorted chocolates at the same time...
The Hanovers told me they sell millions of chocolates year-round... a unique product from the Mint Capital of the World.
"To have a product that's made with mint from St. Johns, I think that's a wonderful thing to have for our communities," said Hanover.
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