Schmidt’s Fudge Haus gets creative to weather pandemic

Like many small businesses, Schmidt’s Fudge Haus faltered during the pandemic. 

“We took a big hit in the very beginning,” said Tim Dick, who has co-owned the German Village sweets shop with Michael Dickinson for 21 years. 

But his customers responded, reaching out to purchase whatever they could to support him. 

Dick said he found it very moving “to see that the care was out there, and that I made a difference to a lot of people.” 

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But like other small businesses, the Fudge Haus pivoted, offering curbside pickup and delivery specials to adapt. Now, a sense of normalcy could return to the establishment. Dick said he’s hoping to bring back tours and demonstrations at the Fudge Haus perhaps this summer or fall. 

Prior to the pandemic, the Fudge Haus regularly held tours and demonstrations of the fudge-making process, Dick said. The business makes Belgian-inspired fudge using an old-world process. They begin with Belgian cocoa, and incorporate heavy creams and butters. The chocolate is first cooked in a copper kettle at high heat before being spread out on a marble table, followed by a creaming process. The entire process takes an hour from start to finish. 

“You can definitely see the difference even in the color between the milk chocolate and the Belgian cocoa,” Dick said. 

The store features sugar-free, vegan, milk, dark, and white chocolate. 

“We try to reach out to all the different taste buds out there,” he said. 

Dick said he also tries to feature other small businesses in his store. Hand-decorated Easter cookies from Ms. Riley’s cookies, for example, will be available in the store this weekend. 

“They’re beautifully decorated,” Dick said. 

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