Beloved Govatos Chocolates in Delaware to close after 130 years
TALLEYVILLE, DE - Along Route 202 in Talleyville, Delaware sits a well known gem, Govatos Chocolates.
On the outside of the building reads chocolate fixes everything, which many will agree that for 130 years, this chocolate has done just that.
Chuck Miller has been ordering chocolate goods for nearly 30 years.
"Whether it’s birthdays, Christmas mostly, Easter, Valentine’s Day, you name it, we come here, even for no occasion at all, everybody just asks for it," said Miller.
Today’s special occasion, a bitter-sweet one, as the chocolate business established in 1894 is soon closing its doors for good.
"Time consuming, it’s like being married to another woman," said the owner, Nick Govatos.
Nick’s wife has been telling him after taking the business over since 2008, the time to retire the chocolate marriage is now.
MORE HEADLINES:
- Woman pulls gun from purse in line for Rita's Water Ice, threatens customer: police
- Rare sharks spotted twice at these Jersey Shore beaches
- Tropical Storm Debby in Philadelphia: Heavy rain, possible tornado coming Friday
"My wife hit me with a frying pan and basically made me wake up, that you don’t have that much time left so, you better start enjoying life," said Govatos.
"Everybody is disappointed, that’s why I’m here right now because we are now coming to stock up, try and hold onto it for another couple of months, then we know that’ll be it," said Miller.
A move many were making as the orders coming in were all in bulk.
A fan favorite of many including Jo Redbird and her now deceased mother.
"I’m almost glad that she doesn’t know because the orange chocolate, that was like one of her requests from her hospice bed," said Redbird.
Her connection goes beyond that, years ago she worked as a candy girl at the former Govatos location on Market Street in Wilmington.
"Literally crying, I FaceTimed all my kids and we were all like this is devastating news," said Redbird.
As the August 27th end date is quickly nearing, Nick is not only cherishing the moments making and selling his chocolates, but the customers who gave him and his family purpose for all these years.
"When you can put a smile on someone’s face when they bite into your chocolate product it’s so fulfilling, it makes you want to cry sometimes that they are so happy," said Govatos.
After years of serving sweet treats Nick plans to focus on providing sweet jams as he pursues his music career as a guitarist.