A North Texas chocolate factory has been working hard to make sure Valentine's Day is a sweet one for everyone.
Sweet Shop USA in Mount Pleasant is the largest handmade chocolate manufacturer in the United States. The family-owned business was founded 50 years in Fort Worth but moved just outside of the Metroplex when a tornado damaged their old facility many years ago.
Every year, the factory begins Valentine's Day production around Christmas in order to make enough chocolates for sweethearts across the country.
"It's one of our favorite times of the year. I mean, there's nothing any more sweet than being able to share the love for chocolate," said Angela Moss, VP of sales for Sweet Shop USA. "Our chocolate, our truffles are all hand-decorated and hand-dipped so it requires a lot of labor but that's why they're so special and they're so beautiful."
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
They work exclusively with UPS, which transports more than a quarter-million boxes of candy overall for Valentine's Day.
"For those four to six weeks, we're producing 100,000 pounds of chocolate. So, it's insane. It's all hands on deck but we have the best time and we're grateful for our shipping partners like UPS to help get the job done," said Moss.
Sweet Shop USA actually experienced the effects of supply chain issues while waiting for stalled cargo ships in California to unload the heart-shaped boxes needed for Valentine's Day.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"They actually made it four weeks ago so it all worked out. But there are things like that people may not always think about -- all those little details to make the holiday happen so we were grateful for that," said Moss.
Winter storms across the country were another factor but Sweet Shop USA was able to box up their handmade creations just in time for deliveries to store shelves and doorsteps.
"We love being centrally located in the nation, that helps us with our shipping," said Moss.
According to UPS, Valentine’s Day occurring on a Monday will not have any impact on deliveries. The delivery company begins working with their customers well in advance of Valentine’s Day to ensure shipments are received on time.
According to the National Retail Federation, candy is the number one most popular gift for Valentine's Day. Valentine’s Day spending is expected to reach $23.9 billion this year, up from $21.8 billion in 2021 and the second-highest year on record.
Sweet Shop USA's next big task is preparing for Easter just around the corner.
"We've already like launched are working on our catalogs for Christmas 2022 I mean, so we're way ahead of the curve looking and even looking at next year's Valentine's Day.
Orders for Easter are open. Click here to order online or call 903-575-5505 to order over the phone. They also have a retail store at their Mount Pleasant factory location.
