Chemist's experiments in chocolate draw customers to Blacksburg shop

by Heather B. Hayes
for Virginia Business
February 2007

In the chocolate business, it helps to be a chemist, says Genie Ranck. The Chocolate Spike, her 4-year-old shop in Blacksburg, has benefited from her scientific background, gaining popularity for its large supply of unusually flavored truffles, toffee, fudge and nut candies.

Aztec Gold flavor, for example, features a blend of chipotle peppers, cinnamon, orange and lemon. Sassy Mango Lime flavor adds a tangy zip with the inclusion of crystallized ginger. This summer, the Chocolate Spike offered seasonal herbal specialties such as truffles and fudge spiced up with cinnamon basil and Thai basil. "I love to experiment with really unusual ingredients just to see what happens," says Ranck, 53, who previously used her chemistry degree in jobs at Allied Signal and Virginia Tech. "It's a lot of fun."

Ranck did not intend to make a full-time foray into the sweets business, but her husband persuaded her to open a store in Blacksburg after she had success selling her homemade toffee at the Roanoke Farmer's Market.

Started in 2003, the Chocolate Spike is named after "Spike," a favorite piece of metalwork sculpted by Ranck that welcomes customers to the shop. The business draws a diverse customer base of local residents and students. A lucrative niche market has been Blacksburg's vegans who like Ranck's wide selection of sugar-free, Splenda-sweetened products.

She has been surprised that her molded, solid candies have been among her best sellers, often purchased in bulk for alumni association events, weddings and holiday parties. "I get a lot of my molds from Europe and they're very detailed, and people just seem to love them," says Ranck.

She declines to release revenue figures, but business has been so brisk that she recently opened a production site in Christiansburg. As Ranck continues to ramp up her capacity, she hopes to eventually move into online sales.

In the meantime, she wants to continue supplying candies and flavors that can't be found elsewhere. "Considering that I just kind of fell into this, I'd say everything's going quite well. I'm really enjoying it. Otherwise I wouldn't keep doing it."