FRONTLINES
Successful Kingsville Chocolate Shop Up For Sale A
lmost five years after launching an artisanal chocolatier business on Kingsville’s main street, Cor Boon and Henry Noestheden have decided to retire and sell their Dutch Boys Chocolate shop. Boon and Noestheden both arrived in Canada in 1952 as children and would initially pursue entirely different careers — Boon as a technical and sales professional with a side hobby as an award-winning carver and Noestheden as a teacher and later as an award-winning designer with installations in major hotel chains. It wasn’t until they met at a dinner party in Windsor that an idea for a specialty chocolate shop utilizing their fine design and creative talents would take flight. “Cor needed someone to dog-sit for him and that turned into a friendship,” explains Noestheden. “I had researched chocolate making in the 1980s and after talking about what we could do together, we thought that it would be a good match for our individual skills.” The store offers handmade chocolate creations including birds, butterflies, crustaceans, beetles, fruit, cats and dogs, along with 4.25-inch round medallions featuring wildlife portraits. The secret to success, according to Noestheden, is having a good product and providing clients and customers
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From 3-dimensional chocolates to handcrafted truffles with more than 26 unique flavours, customers like Richard Wyma (left) regularly stop in for that special gift or just to indulge in some of the finest chocolates around made by Dutch Boys Chocolate — founders Cor Boon (middle) and Henry Noestheden. Their Kingsville business is up for sale and is offered as a complete turn-key operation, without interruption during ownership transition. Photo by Rod Denis.
with a superior shopping experience. “You need to provide something familiar, yet at the same time surprising,” he says. Large store-front windows allow customers and passers-by a birds-eye view of chocolates being hand-crafted in an ultra-clean environment. In 2017, in its first full year of operation, Dutch Boys won a Jimmy Award, handed out annually by travel blogger Jim Byers, as the best chocolate maker in Canada. Now, as both men ease into another retirement, it’s time to find a buyer. The pair intends to stay on for three months once the sale is completed to help train the new owners who will, essentially, be taking over a turn-key operation. It is an ideal small business for a mature couple. This successful company has a large local clientele and the website: DutchBoysChocolate.com is already set up for online purchases. Boon plans to move to Prince Edward Island and focus on his love of photography,
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while Noestheden is in the process of launching a greeting card company and plans to split his time between Canada and the Netherlands. “Back in the late 1960s, I had a photo studio in Brampton so I’m looking forward to it,” comments Boon, who was once President of the Ontario chapter of the Professional Photographers of Canada. “I’m hoping to focus on nature and landscapes and perhaps even start exhibiting in a gallery.” But for now, the self-proclaimed “old Dutch guys” will take their time in winding down the business. The shop recently relocated to 6 Main Street West, a hop, skip, and a jump from the original building. If you are interested in investing in this business, stop by to chat with the owners. Of course everyone is welcome to visit during their hours of operation (closed Sunday and Monday) to pick up a delicious sampling of Dutch Boys Chocolate!
