GROUND FLOOR: New business owner living a sweet life

CORALVILLE — When Cindy Riley approached Joe and Laurie Winans Reiser about opening Winans Chocolates and Coffees' first Iowa location, Joe Reiser asked her if she wanted to get rich or was looking for a lifestyle.

Riley told him she was interested in the latter.

'Good,' he told her. 'Small business is a lifestyle.'

Riley is embracing her new way of life as a chocolate shop owner.

After growing up in Iowa City, Riley worked in corporate America for 30 years as a business information analyst and executive. Her career took her to Arkansas and then to Ohio, where she spent the last seven years.

It was there she discovered Winans Chocolates and Coffees.

Winans is a fourth generation family-owned business based in Piqua, Ohio. Founded as a bakery, the business added hand-dipped chocolates, caramels and other confections to its product line in 1961 and coffee in 1994.

In addition to its chocolate factory and coffee roasting operation in Piqua, Winans has 12 shops located throughout Ohio.

'There was one very close to my office,' Riley said. 'I used to go down there to drink coffee and eat chocolate.'

Last year, Riley decided to return to the Iowa City area to be near her family. She asked the Reisers if she could bring a Winans franchise with her. They were amenable.

'They knew I had a business background and ties in the community,' Riley said.

Riley said some of the things she appreciates about Winans' fourth-generation owners are how personally involved they remain in the business and their commitment to sustainability.

'Joe [Reiser]' personally travels to meet with coffee suppliers around the world to source single-origin, fair trade coffee and cacao beans,' she noted.

Yet, as franchisors, the Reisers give Riley plenty of flexibility in terms of running her Coralville shop, which she opened in early November.

'They are very laid back,' Riley said. 'That's their style.'

Riley said the biggest challenge she has faced in running her Winans outpost comes from the difficulty in transporting the handcrafted chocolates from the chocolate factory in Ohio.

'Chocolate is fragile,' she said. 'We've had to figure out how to ship them without too much breakage.'

To ensure her shipment of Easter candy arrived intact, Riley drove to Ohio to pick it up herself.

She said the seasonal sweets include chocolate bunnies, crème-filled eggs and marshmallows wrapped in chocolate.

AT A GLANCE

• Owner: Cindy Riley
• Business: Winans Chocolates and Coffees
• Address: 470 First Ave., Coralville
• Phone: (319) 337-3125
• Website:

  www.winanscoralville.com

l Know a company or manager who has been in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor'? Contact George Ford at george.ford@thegazette.com.