Kalamazoo, Michigan has been a popular city in song lyrics with over dozen credits to its name. Located halfway between Chicago and Detroit, it is also home to one of Nashville Wraps’ most heavenly customers.
Peg Throop was given a challenge by her local church one Sunday in 1999. Grace Spring Bible church modernized a parable found in the book of Matthew. Each member of the congregation was offered an envelope containing money and was asked to consider how they would invest and return it ten months later. Peg’s envelope contained a 10 dollar bill.
The Parable of the Talents in Action
Since Peg was a chocolate connoisseur, she decided to make handmade caramel corn drizzled with chocolate. She sold them to her family and friends, and after ten months she was thrilled to turn $10 into $800 for her church.
But it didn’t stop there. People continued to ask for her caramel corn. She soon realized this was becoming a business, so Peg launched Taste of Heaven with the commitment to continue to help others through the sales of her delicious treats. {Photo Credit: Spark Magazine}
All of Taste of Heaven’s products are handmade in their Kalamazoo facility. Their caramel corn and cheese corns are GMO and gluten free with a commitment to using the highest quality products available including real butter and brown sugar.
Everything Tastes Better Drizzled
They currently have 11 gourmet popcorn flavors along with some specialty confections like White Chocolate Cinnamon Drizzle and Michigan Cherry Drizzled Caramel Corn. Some of their popular cheese corn flavors include K-zoo Corn (their take on a sweet and savory Chicago mix) and Jalapeno Cheddar.
They also offer handmade dipped rice crispy cookies, gourmet pretzels, fudge, dipped creme-filled cookies and giant marshmallows.
“Nashville Wraps packaging complements our products with everything we need for gift packaging right at our fingertips,” says Lynn Russcher, General Manager. “The staff is always prompt, courteous and exceeds our expectations in quality!”
“We’ve also developed unique wedding favors that are customized to each couple’s theme. Using Nashville Wraps color-matched packaging and ribbon, we offer the bride and groom a perfect edible complement to their special day.”
Volunteers Make This Ministry a Success
Local volunteers who want to give back to their community make up 80% of Taste of Heaven’s staff. In 2005, Taste of Heaven joined a local chapter of Youth for Christ and is a vital part of this ministry. From the Juvenile Justice Ministry to the Merge Mentoring program, Youth for Christ reaches young people with hope and love.
The business actively engages young people, partnering with Kalamazoo County Juvenile Court, Youth Opportunities Unlimited and local high schools to provide job training skills and a place to serve community service hours for students 13-19 years old.
Peg offers this advice to other people who might be interested in starting a similar business for their church group or organization, “Research, research and then do a little more research. Research the market for the products you would like to sell. Network with other local small business owners and get feedback. Find out if your church has a licensed kitchen, if they are willing to allow you to use it or rent time at a local co-op kitchen. Research your state regulations for food related businesses and follow their guidelines.”
“Success is not guaranteed, but doing your homework increases your chances of succeeding.”
Take it from Peg, you just never know where $10 might take you! You can find Taste of Heaven online at www.drizzled.org. You can read more about them in Spark Magazine’s February 2013 issue.
We had Taste of Heaven carmel and cheese corn as wedding favors for a greeting bag for our out of town guests. They were a huge hit and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. I would highly recommend Taste of Heaven!