journey

PHOENIX FOCUS
| Alumni Business
Sweet
success
In the movie Forrest Gump, Gump’s mother
offers him this sage advice: “Life is like a box of
chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna
get.” In Leroy Reynolds’ case, that’s exactly
what life gave him.
By Keri Ruiz
Reynolds is the owner of Choicolate Artisan Chocolates in San
Antonio, Texas. He and his wife, Krastina, a Bulgarian native,
bought the established store in 2014 after researching new
business opportunities. A U.S. Army veteran who served 22 years,
Reynolds spent most of his military career in Europe, primarily
in Germany. He says that upon his military retirement, he and
Krastina explored the possibility of opening a small European café
in the states, similar to those they frequented overseas.
Perfect fit
“We settled in San Antonio, and I worked on the civilian side
as inspector general for the Army’s Southern Regional Medical
Command for a few years while we researched franchise and
licensing opportunities,” Reynolds says. “But, we decided that
wasn’t for us; we wanted more control over our business than a
franchise would give us. Then, this chocolate shop opportunity
presented itself, and we thought, ‘Why not?’ It seemed like a
perfect fit for us.”
The Reynolds bought the business from a South Korean couple.
Ironically, South Korea is where Leroy and Krastina met and
married several years before when Leroy was stationed there and
Krastina was working as an English tutor. The name, Choicolate
(pronounced Choy-co-LAHT) is a play on the former owner and
wife’s maiden name, Choi—a common Korean surname.
The Reynolds liked the name and kept it when they took over
the business.
Improved business acumen
Reynolds handles all aspects of business operations and
marketing. He says that while he already had a bachelor’s degree
in management and years of operations and marketing experience
from his time in the military, it was the University of Phoenix
MBA he earned in 2013 that improved his business acumen and
“gave me the science to enhance the art of experience.”
“I use the knowledge I gained through my MBA education every
single day—things like finance, process improvement, marketing
and correct pricing model development,” he says. “Krastina
handles the creative side of the business and has become the
chocolatier, mastering the handcrafting techniques, creating
recipes and designs and shaping the manufacturing operations.”
The business is thriving thanks to Reynolds’ due diligence and
early research into the San Antonio market for the product.
“We’re the only artisan chocolate shop in the San Antonio area,
and have found a niche among baby boomers—our primary buyers
because of their disposal income—for our high-end truffles, toffee
and other items made with natural ingredients and premium
European chocolate,” Reynolds notes.
Overcoming challenges
He adds that with any small business start-up, there are challenges
to be expected. The main challenges Reynolds faced when
launching the business operations were “regulatory entities
and taxes—those two things are always going to be the most
challenging for a small business because they vary by city and
state. You’re on a learning curve, so you have to decide how to
set up your business for what works best for you. We established
ourselves as an LLC—limited liability company.”
Pursue your dream
And while there are other complexities to becoming an
entrepreneur and owning your own business, Reynolds’ best
advice to others considering it comes down to one word, “Dream!”
“Dream it and you can do it,” he emphasizes. “Every little success
you have gives you confidence to take that next step. It shows you
that your dreams are important and achievable. Your desire for
success will lead you to success.”
Get noticed.
Alumni, promote your business in the 2016 Alumni Business Directory.
alumni.phoenix.edu/business-directory.html
34 PHOENIX FOCUS | Spring 2016
alumni.phoenix.edu 35