In their previous careers, Ted worked in the printing business and then manufacturing sales, while Joy worked as a secretary at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. When they joined forces to start a business, “the chemistry between us just sparked,” Joy said.
Ted and Joy, married for 38 years, both grew up in the Dayton area and chose Lebanon for their chocolate shop because of the village atmosphere and tight-knit community. The name they chose, the Golden Turtle Chocolate Factory, pays homage to two local landmarks, the Golden Lamb to the north of their shop, and Turtle Creek to the South.
At the Chocolate Factory, Joy likes organizing the paperwork, running the shop and overseeing the packaging designs. Ted, on the other hand, enjoys the science of making chocolate. Starting with chocolate blocks, he tempers or heats the chocolate to 118 degrees. This heating process allows the crystals in chocolate to be suspended evenly throughout the chocolate, and is what gives the chocolate a desired shiny and crisp texture.
The Kossouji’s make more than 150 varieties of milk, dark and white chocolates, all preservative-free. They also give tours of their shop to groups.
Most of their business is from local residents, but they also have some notable customers. Steven Spielberg and his mother are fans of their chocolates, and Spielberg’s film production company, DreamWorks, orders regularly. The editor of Cosmopolitan, Kate White, also orders their chocolates.
In addition to making chocolates, Ted and Joy love to read and travel. They recently returned from Granada, bringing back a large cacao seedpod.
Joy likens her and Ted’s relationship to tempered chocolate.
“When you heat chocolate, the molecules connect together in a cohesive unit that makes it more beautiful. That is how it is with Ted and me.”
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