Portland artisan confectioner Moonstruck Chocolate Co. has sold to a New York chocolatier, which plans to close Moonstruck’s three remaining shops on July 8.
“This acquisition will give us a much-needed West Coast presence to better serve our current and potential customers,” said Joe Whaley, CEO and founder of Chocolate Works, the Portland company’s new owner. He didn’t disclose terms of the deal.
Chocolate Works said it will continue making Moonstruck chocolates in Portland, but not in the facility on the St. Johns waterfront that had long been Moonstruck’s home. Chocolate Works said it will offer jobs to current Moonstruck staff.
Founded in 1993, Moonstruck became a nationally known brand early in the 2000s after Oprah Winfrey featured it in her O magazine and the Academy Awards included Moonstruck’s handcrafted chocolates in the gift baskets presented to guests.
Former owners Sally and Dave Bany launched a nationwide expansion strategy in 2007, hoping to emulate Starbucks’ success with a chain of chocolate cafés all over the country. The effort fizzled almost immediately, though, and Moonstruck shut down nine shops to refocus on five Oregon cafes. That number eventually dwindled to three.
Dave Bany died in 2018. Sally Bany, who is the daughter of the late Columbia Sportswear Chair Gert Boyle, sold Moonstruck in 2020 to her daughter Rachel and to Rachel’s husband Russell Sneddon, who was Moonstruck’s CEO.
“We look forward to watching the brand’s growth and transformation under Chocolate Works as the brand expands from a regional favorite to the national stage,” Russell Sneddon said in a statement Friday. He declined additional comment.
— Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | Twitter: @rogoway |
