Entrepreneurs of the Month: Bill and Sue Foley of The Chocolate Fetish

The Chamber is pleased to recognize Bill and Sue Foley of The Chocolate Fetish as Entrepreneurs of the Month.

The Chamber is pleased to recognize Bill and Sue Foley of The Chocolate Fetish as Entrepreneurs of the Month.

Bill and Sue Foley display their award-winning handmade chocolates at The Chocolate Fetish	Chamber Board Chair LaVoy Spooner presents the Entrepreneur of the Month Award to The Chocolate Fetish ownersBill and Sue Foley with their daughter and General Manager Elizabeth

The Chocolate Fetish has been creating award-winning handmade chocolates in Asheville since 1986. Bill and Sue Foley purchased the business in 2001 and, with a fierce dedication to quality and a passion for fine food especially chocolate, they have since grown the company into an Asheville mainstay. They have expanded the retail and production space three times over the last ten years, the most recent in the midst of a serious recession.  

“We helped fuel the growth by continually enhancing our existing products then developing new complementary chocolate offerings to expand our customer base and overall reach,” said Bill. “The Asheville market is still our #1 priority, and we always focus on satisfying our home market. We even have some products only for Asheville. We also concentrated on increasing our overall effectiveness through continued investment in training with some of the world’s leading chocolatiers and in improving our systems capabilities.”

That hard work, dedication and well-earned success are what led the Chamber to choose Bill and Sue as Entrepreneurs of the Month. “According to a world famous economist who coined the term entrepreneur spirit, entrepreneurs greatly value self-reliance, strive for distinction through excellence, are highly optimistic, and always favor challenges of risk …neither too easy nor ruinous.  That pretty much describes the management of The Chocolate Fetish,” Bill said.

The Chocolate Fetish is not a new-comer to recognition. Their chocolates are coveted by locals, visitors and customers far and wide. It has been voted "The Best Candy and Chocolate Shop in Western North Carolina" for twelve consecutive years by The Mountain Xpress. In 2008 and 2009 the company received the Chamber’s Sky High Growth Award, which recognizes the fastest growing small businesses of the year. The Chocolate Fetish was also named a Small Business of the Month in 2010.

“We are particularly proud of maintaining our commitment to high quality handmade chocolates and world-class customer service as we continue to grow,” Bill said. “We are thankful to our employees who maintain our high standards and have training programs in place throughout our business to assure that we continue to exceed customer expectations.”

It seems to be working. A recent customer posted this to The Chocolate Fetish Facebook page, “I've kept every box that I ever got from The Chocolate Fetish. When I'm stressed, I take out a box and breathe deep!! Instant relief. And then I dream of the time I get another box…”