In the heart of Daytona Beach, just inland from the beach awaits a man in his factory.
"Oh man. It's a chocolate factory," exclaimed Hannah Smith, with Angell & Phelps of her family business. "I never thought in a million years that I would be married to a candy man."
The Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory on South Beach Street first opened decades ago.
"These marble slabs are the original tables from 1925," said Hannah's husband, Chuck.
In 1983, Chuck Smith, sometimes called "Charlie" (as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), stepped into the kitchen and never left.
"My father was their best customer for so many years. He liked the product, he liked the candies, so well, he bought the whole place," Chuck recalled.
Today, they still roll in from the beach wearing Crocs and flip-flops for a sweet behind-the-scenes tour. Chuck said more than 200,000 people a year will take his walking tour.
"Anything you can think of, we can do in chocolate," Chuck said proudly.
Angell & Phelps most popular item? Chocolate-covered potato chips.
"It's crunchy, it's salty, and it's sweet," Hannah boasts of the potato chips made with Ruffles.
Following chips, the second most popular seller isn't chocolate covered bunnies this time of year, but rather bacon.
Confectionists will bake the bacon one day and dip it in chocolate the next.
"If you like chocolate and bacon, it's just wonderful!" Hannah said with a grin.
Each winter, the factory is filled with Valentine's Day chocolates. However, Chuck said the candy-makers are already looking toward spring, and pouring Easter bunnies and Easter verses made from chocolate.
Everybody on the tour leaves with a free sample and a mouthful.
"They really like it because it is free," Chuck concluded.
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