DW Hammond Chocolates in Coloma Michigan

This week, when we were up in Coloma, we stopped by the newest store on Main Street:  DW Hammond Chocolates and Fudge.  They just moved from Benton Harbor into this cute old building.

The place isn't quite that cute inside just yet, but they're going to rip up the gross old carpet and refinish the floors.  They have a lot of space, so hopefully someone with a bit of experience can help them gussy the place up a bit.

According to the owner (who told us the story), these guys are the oldest/original chocolate makers in Southwest Michigan - dating back to the 1800's.   With the Chocolate Garden already in business across town (Wow...they were just named "Chocolatier of the Year"!), and DW Hammond relocating their business here, maybe Coloma Michigan can become a chocolate hotbed of sorts.  Two chocolate stores make a coincidence.  But...when the third opens up, we'll have ourselves a trend.

We bought some coffee and a small box of assorted chocolates - pretty tasty little treats, but not something we would eat everyday.  If they can get their bagel business up and running (when we were there, it seemed that the baking part of the business wasn't yet set up, rather they were focusing on the chocolates), they'll have us as customers all summer long.

To be honest...I'm a bit surprised that they moved here, but the owner said that he needed the 'tourist' traffic that comes with being by the lake.  More logical (to me at least) would be the move from Benton Harbor to St. Joe's, but there's a heckuva lot more chocolate competition in St. Joe's with Kilwin's and the South Bend Chocolate Company.