Spotlight | Vita Dolce

Last week I received a fabulous tip from Lisa Kae in my inbox. I opened the email to see these gorgeous treats from Grand Rapids' own Vita Dolce Chocolates. I headed on over to their website and was delightfully surprised with with picture-perfect chocolates, which any guest would devour before the main course.

I immediately sent an email to owners Jessica and Dana to see if they'd give me some more info on their treats, and within days I couldn't wait to meet them! Dana and I did a Q+A together, which I hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed the chocolates...

Ooh, and YES, they DO ship nationwide! Check out their website for more information.

How did you two get started?
Upon resigning from her fifth grade teaching job to be with her two children, Jessica started looking for something that gave her the flexibility to stay home with her kids during the day yet still have a career. After making wedding favors for my wedding she decided that she'd found the ideal solution! She had always made chocolates for special events and holidays and it was a family tradition that she enjoyed. Jessica loved making chocolates, but didn't have much interest in running a business. I prefer to avoid the kitchen, but enjoy the other aspects of running a business. So with our perfect division of labor, we got to work on designing Vita Dolce Chocolates.

How did you come up with the name Vita Dolce?
Vita Dolce is Italian for sweet life. We immediately combed through the Italian language for a name because Jessica's Italian and I'm Italian at heart. We settled on the sweet life because there is a funny thing about how we enjoy chocolates - we buy them to cheer us up, to help us celebrate, and to just enjoy a quick moment of bliss. At Vita Dolce Chocolates we make chocolates to brighten a day, top off a party, and indulge a craving. So...we are making chocolates for the sweet life!

What inspires your flavors/designs/new items?
Jessica usually wakes up around 2am with the latest and greatest new recipe! The best ideas always come when you aren't looking for them.

Where do you find all of your ingredients?
We are particular about the ingredients that we use in our chocolates. We find them anywhere from local stores to wholesale vendors. Our first choice is to buy local, and we continue to look for additional vendors in the West Michigan area for all of our ingredients.

What does a normal day at the office consist of?
There are no normal days in our office! We make all of our chocolates fresh so each day is different, depending on the orders. During busy times, Jessica is busy working her magic in the kitchen making hand-dipped chocolate truffles, artisan chocolates, or any other treat that is in the line up for the day! During downtime we test out new recipes and work on the less glamorous side of the business.

What do you enjoy doing on your days off?
Jessica, being a mother of two little ones, does not have days off! She spends most of her time with her family and is prone to having her friends drop in on her (she's a good cook, so we usually drop in around dinner!)

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband, traveling, and savoring a nice glass of red wine. My latest interesting is in the realm of botany, but I don't exactly have a green thumb!

[photos by Amy Wenzel]