Holl's Chocolates is a family-owned, small business that produces a specialized product to very exacting standards. And we plan to stay that way. While other companies choose to grow bigger, we choose to get better. In part our decision to stay small comes from our commitment to staying authentic. And our authenticity comes from our history...

The history of Holl's begins founder Fritz Holl's training as a candy maker in Switzerland in 1938. As a young man, Fritz was sent to Zurich to be an apprentice in his uncle's conditorie. (A conditorei is a combination pastry shop, chocolate shop and café.) Cheap labor meant little incentive to automate production, so nearly everything was done by hand. By the time he finished his training, Fritz could make almost all the sweet delights found in a Swiss conditorei, from chocolates to pastries to cakes.

In 1958, Fritz immigrated to the United States in response to an ad for a Swiss-trained chocolate maker placed by Ohio dairy company Broughton's. The dairy's owner, Carl Broughton, wanted to introduce Americans to fine European chocolates, but his plan failed. Either weren't used to the intense flavor of European chocolates, or they didn't couldn't afford the indulgence. Fritz switched to working for Broughton's in other ways, but he continued to make chocolates for his friends.

In 1986, Fritz retired from Broughton's but he wasn't ready to slow down. Friends encouraged him to return to his original training, and in April of 1986, Holl's Chocolates--like so many other gourmet food businesses–was born in the founder's kitchen.

A local wine shop was Fritz's first and best customer. Only eight months after the business started, the wine shop sold over 400 pounds of Holl's chocolates. As a result of this demand, the Holl kitchen became chocolate central to the dismay of Fritz's wife, Elisabeth. The Holls decided to make a go of the business and invest in a "real" location.

They moved to a small storefront in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The entire space, which housed both production and the selling area, was about 600 square feet. The store was located on a steep hill just off of a fairly busy street and had only enough parking for four cars. Yet people willingly went out of their way to visit the little chocolate shop just to get Holl's chocolate.

It was in the shop that Elisabeth's skills were put to use. As a young woman, she had worked at one of the finest florist shops in Zurich. The shop's elite customers expected an exceptional level of personal service. Clerks had to know their names, their wives' or girlfriends' names, and even their wives' and girlfriends' favorite flowers.

At the little chocolate shop, Elisabeth put these service skills to work. Once she met customers, she remembered their name; their favorite candy; their children's names and their favorite candy. When a customer entered the shop, she would them by name and have a sample of their favorite candy ready. This special attention-- and the superior taste of the chocolate--made a trip to Holl's Chocolates an experience people were eager to tell their friends about.

As word of mouth brought more business, Fritz's retirement hobby became a full-time job that needed more space. In 1990, Holl's Chocolates moved to its current location in Vienna, West Virginia.

As the store grew busier and busier, Fritz's son Dominique realized that maybe this little family business had some potential. After college, Dominique learned chocolate making just the way his father had 50 years earlier. And under the younger generation's guidance, Holl's began to adapt processes to blend best of the old ways with the best of the new to keep up with growing demand.

Now the president of Holl's, Dominique his wife, Michelle, continue to adhere to the chocolate standards set by Fritz and the service standards set by Elisabeth. The elder Holls are still active in the business, and can usually be found chatting with customers in our retail store. In 2001, we launched the Holl's Chocolate Web site, making it easier for loyal customers to buy and give our fine Swiss chocolates no matter where they live. And after all these years, we are still committed to staying a small, focused company that does one thing well: making genuine, highest quality Swiss-style chocolates.

Taste the authenticity. Indulge in a box of Holl's Swiss chocolates.