Charlie’s marks 40 years of chocolate

Charlie’s Chocolate Factory recently marked its 40th year of business in Burnaby.

Not bad for a shop whose impetus was the university thesis of owner Charlie Sigvardsen.

He was a young commerce student at the University of British Columbia when his professor advised the class to get working on their thesis papers. The professor had collected the business cards of companies willing to have their operations analyzed for free by commerce students.

Sigvardsen visited his instructor’s office and chose two cards, one for a chocolate business, another for an ice cream operation.

“I love ice cream, I love chocolate,” he recalled in an interview. “What better things to write a thesis on?”

But the professor told Sigvardsen he had to choose one of them on the spot. He chose chocolate.

His grandfather had been a pastry chef in Copenhagen, Denmark, and his parents had split when he was young, so Sigvardsen learned how to bake and cook early on to help his mom. It was an experience that gave him an interest in the food business.

When he graduated with his commerce degree, he went on to work in marketing and sales for a Vancouver chocolate company, followed by several years for another business. He then managed a Pauline Johnson candy store in the same building at Canada Way near Boundary Road where his shop is now.

He resigned when he didn’t agree with how the business was being run, then a year later, it went bankrupt, he said.

The landlord, who owned the bakery next door, let him know when the candy store vacated the space, leaving much of their equipment behind. The bakery owner and Sigvardsen each put in $200 to start up Charlie’s Chocolate Factory.

He eventually bought out his baker partner and then moved next door, ultimately expanding and taking over the entire building at 3746 Canada Way.

Over the years Sigvardsen has seen many chocolate and candy stores come and go, but he’s survived, he said, thanks to the business management skills he learned in school and an ability to change with the times.

His shop is known for its chocolates in a myriad of moulded shapes, including custom corporate logos. In recent years, he said, chocolate consumption has gone up, particularly higher quality products such as the Callebaut chocolate from Belgium that he uses.

It’s also become a family affair, with son Colin managing the business, son Blair making the moulds and running the retail and warehouse operations in Port Coquitlam, and granddaughter Ellen, who works full-time at the Burnaby store.

At age 81, Sigvardsen said he never plans to retire.

“If you enjoy what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

At a recent 40th anniversary celebration at the Burnaby store, friends wrote in a card that “they’re looking forward to having my retirement party but they said, I guess this’ll do instead,” he said with a laugh.

 

• Charlie’s Chocolate Factory is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a customer appreciation day on Saturday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at its Burnaby store, 3746 Canada Way.

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Chocolate with Bill & Sheila