At Chocolates by Tina Marie, we craft artisan chocolates and gourmet marshmallows with creativity, passion, and a whole lot of love. From indulgent caramels to award-winning confections, we take pride in making treats that delight our customers.

Believe it or not, we started this business because we wanted to retire! (Yes, we know how ironic that sounds.)

I (Ed) originally retired after working in sales, but Tina was still working full-time at General Mills. After a year, she decided I needed a job. So, she found me a part-time gig, and before long, we discovered an opportunity to open a small market stand at Farmstead Market. We thought, Why not?—a little side business would keep us busy, help us meet people, and bring in some extra income.

Then everything changed. When Tina lost her job at General Mills, she looked at me and said, I’m not going back to corporate life. Do you think we can actually make money selling chocolate? That was the moment we went all in.

Fast forward ten years from that first market stand, and today we have two locations and a thriving business!

Opening our first brick-and-mortar store—this was our first big leap and truly changed the trajectory of our business.

Winning a Retail Confection Award for our Caramel Macchiato Chocolate—this recognition set us apart in the industry and brought in a whole new wave of customers.

At the heart of everything we do is creativity. Tina has always loved playing with her food, and developing new flavors, textures, and products is what keeps us excited every day. Whether it’s designing a brand-new chocolate creation or building relationships with our customers, we love the process of creating something special.

Like many businesses today, staffing has been one of our biggest challenges. Finding the right people who share our passion and work ethic is tough.

Another challenge we’re actively facing is chocolate supply and pricing. Cocoa bean prices have skyrocketed—129% in just 12 months! That affects everything from sourcing raw chocolate to managing production costs. But we’re determined to adapt, innovate, and keep pushing forward.

Make sure you love what you do. Passion is what keeps you going through the tough times.

Be ready for ups and downs. Nothing is perfect on day one—you’ll grow and develop as you go.

Be careful what you ask for… because you just might get it. (That’s one of our favorite sayings!)

We’re deeply involved in the local community and love giving back. Some of the organizations and initiatives we support include:
- Hummelstown Business Association
- Second Friday events
- Backpack Program & Hunger Run Food Bank at Grace Church
- Hummelstown Fire Company
- Local school athletics

In fact, if you looked at our last tax return, you’d see our donation list was close to $9,000! Giving back is a huge part of who we are.

Tina is obsessed with purple. She wears it almost every day, and it’s been her favorite color since childhood—her bedroom even had a purple ballerina bedspread!