Syracuse, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/13/2016 --Chocolate Pizza Company, Inc., a manufacturer of gourmet chocolate specialties, was honored recently as, "Business of the Year, 2016," by CenterState CEO at their annual award gathering attended by nearly 1,000 Upstate New York business professionals. Based in Syracuse, CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity is a 12-county business leadership and economic development organization that recognizes the top area businesses each year in 5 categories. Chocolate Pizza Company won for companies with under 50 employees.
Receiving the award for Chocolate Pizza Company was its 27-year-old owner, Ryan Novak. A graduate of Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, Novak started with the company as a dishwasher at age 15 and bought the company 6 years later while still a senior in college. Chocolate Pizza Company was a small-town chocolate shop at the time that has undergone dramatic changes under Novak's leadership.
"What our team has accomplished is remarkable," Novak said, "We are proud to be recognized as Business of the Year and look forward to continuing to build on that success."
Chocolate Pizza Company has seen sales quadruple since 2010 and last fall opened a new 10,000 sf production and retail facility in Novak's hometown of Marcellus, just minutes from Syracuse. Featured on Food Network, the company creates over 100 gourmet chocolate specialties in both a gift and impulse sales line.
About Chocolate Pizza Company
The company's gift line is anchored by its trademarked, signature products – Chocolate Pizza® and Peanut Butter Wings®. Chocolate Pizza blends rich milk or dark chocolate with homemade English toffee, tops it with nuts or candy and serves it in a custom pizza box. Peanut Butter Wings are crisp, rippled potato chips covered in creamy peanut butter and dipped in their gourmet chocolate. Hall of Fame athletes, Supreme Court Justices, A-list celebrities and legions of chocolate fans have enjoyed these unique confections.
The impulse sales best-sellers include mini Chocolate Pizzas, Peanut Butter Sparklers and caramel and nut Drumsticks. These grab-and-go treats are favorites at checkout counters and cash wraps at thousands of retailers across the country including CVS Pharmacy, Hallmark, Sheetz and many more. Chocolate Pizza Company also does holiday corporate gifts for some of the biggest names in business. Handcrafted and "Made in America" are two features that make their products unique, delicious and impressive.
Novak has overcome considerable challenges in his rise to lead an award-winning business at such a young age. He shared insights from that journey in a piece for Entrepreneur.com magazine (Because Life Isn't Easy: 4 Secrets of Success Amid Adversity) and is a frequent speaker at professional forums and events.
Information on Chocolate Pizza Company is available on their website, http://www.chocolatepizza.com.
