Mitchell's Chocolate celebrates 74 years

Easter candy is a Mitchell's best seller

Bill Mitchell remembers when his parents, Chris and Penelope, opened Mitchell's Chocolates. It was located on Coventry Road then, next door to the Centrum theatre.

Back then, candy was not available at the movie theatre, so residents of Cleveland Heights would stop in Mitchell's to buy some chocolate to eat during the feature, and then go see the movie.

Now Bill Mitchell is the owner of the family business, which he describes as "a tradition in Cleveland Heights for 74 years." It moved from Coventry to Lee Road in 1991.

The store, which has been operating since 1939, has its biggest sales during the Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day seasons, but is a favorite with Cleveland Heights residents all year long.

Mitchell's uses more than 800 molds for making dark and milk chocolate. Among them are some that were manufactured during World War I. There are several contemporary molds as well, and the owner said he had "too many favorite molds to name."

"We have so many good recipes here," Mitchell said. A traditional 14-ounce box of assorted chocolate costs $25.95. Popular choices with customers are chocolate-covered almonds, cashews, oranges and apricots. Pecan turtles and chocolates filled with caramel or cream are also big sellers.

The most expensive, and one of the most unusual, items Mitchell's offers is the Graecia collection. It consists of six hand-crafted chocolates with European molds, each named for a Greek figure. The set costs $40 and is made only four times a year. The next producation of it will be for Mother's day. "These help celebrate our Greek heritage," said Mitchell, adding that,"We're proud to be small, artisan and unique."

Simone Quartell

Simone Quartell, a Heights High graduate, is a student at Cleveland State University and a Heights Observer intern.

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Volume 6, Issue 5, Posted 4:35 PM, 04.30.2013