Page 25 - OCL October 2017 Old City Life Magazine

“She showed me once, and I said ‘hey, you gotta come back and show me again!” The sweet Whetstone journey, however, was not without some bumps. At one point Henry decided to draw customers to the store at the corner of Artillery Lane and Aviles Street by making salt water taffy. He put the machine in the window and went to work. “I put a glob in the machine, and it turned once and flew up against the window,” apparently shocking and entertaining onlookers. Fortunately Henry was able to repair the machine, and “it ran all day,” drawing crowds to check out the taffy- making process.
The businesses eventually expanded to the point that, Esther recalls, Henry told her, “I need you in the business. Stop teaching.”
Highlights of the Whetstone holdings have included the former Cordova Hardware building in where the factory was once located.
Also, in the 1970s, just before Walt Disney World opened, Whetstone Chocolates had a contract to provide Disney World with fudge, almond patties and other chocolate products. Disney World provided the labels. “That contract lasted probably until the early 1980s”,
Esther estimates. “Disney was a very good account.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Virginia joined the family business in 1983 after graduating from Vanderbilt University. “I forced her into it,” says Henry of his daughter, who had a double major at Vanderbilt in economics
Not that she hadn’t been involved in
the family business during her high school years. Her favorite memories of those early years were working at the ice cream shop. “Dipping ice cream was my favorite thing,” she says. “I could hold five cones in my hand and put a scoop in each one.” She held the cones in her left hand, and dipped them with her right hand. “I can still do it to this day.”
Today she enjoys experimenting with new ideas for the company. “I mainly do it,” she explains, but sometimes gets help from the staff. Their latest venture is the addition of gelato, an Italian style of ice cream. With a selection of 27 flavors, the gelato is made fresh every week and offers mouth-watering flavors as mint cookie, Swiss chocolate and mud pie. The gelato
is sold at the chocolate stores.
“In the late 1980s and 1990s”, Virginia continues, “Whetstone did a lot of contract manufacturing and wholesaling. The wholesaling part was sold in 2004, with Whetstones keeping the retail, which includes online selling with products shipped domestically only, because of
the perishable nature. The company sells wholesale in bulk to retailers”, she adds.
Among the businesses which the company operates today are the Spanish Bakery and Cafe on North St. George
“
Street, Tedi’s Ice Cream and three chocolate shops, as well as a production facility on King Street. “And we do chocolate tasting tours,” Virginia adds.
Both Esther and Henry have cut back on their involvement with the
...DIPPING ICE CREAM IS MY FAVORITE THING,” SHE
SAYS. “I COULD HOLD FIVE
CONES IN MY HAND AND P“ A SCOOP IN EACH ONE...
and business administration. “It’s a challenging business,” Virginia admits, adding that as soon as she returned home from college her father was ready to turn the leadership of the business over to her. She started off managing the stores.
business, “but we’re still in it somewhat,” says Esther. Henry has duties which require him to visit the stores on a daily basis.
In addition to their business obligations,
all the Whetstones have been involved in the community through the years, in numerous
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