USU gets sweeter as Aggie Chocolate Factory opens

Students better have their sweet tooths ready as the the new Aggie Chocolate Factory is almost ready to open.

The factory, located on the first floor of the Blue Square housing complex, opened its doors to the public for the first time last week with a sneak peek event. Those in attendance were able to get behind the glass, see how things worked and of course taste some chocolate.

Aggie Chocolate Factory will be creating all different kinds of chocolate from dark to milk. The chocolate produced there will also be used in Aggie Ice Cream. The factory will be used for food science, economics and natural resource classes.

Machine responsible for grinding up cocoa beans into chocolate before it is formed into bars.

Silvana Martini, a nutrition, dietetics and food sciences professor, has long been awaiting the arrival of the chocolate factory. Martini teaches a class about chocolate at the university. She believes the experiences that students will have in the new factory will provide them with real world experience

“This facility will provide experiential learning opportunities to our student. I believe that these hands-on experiences will have a tremendous impact in students learning experience. I am also excited to use the facility to teach the general public about chocolate making and to help chocolate companies with their products,” Martini wrote in an email. “This means that we now have state-of-the-art equipment that we can use to teach, do research, and provide outreach activities. The possibilities are endless.”

The excitement surrounding the factory is resonating in students as well. Especially those who live right above it. Helen Lea and Kinsey Brashears are both residents at the Blue Square housing. Lea hopes to see the factory bring others into the building.

“Hopefully it becomes kind of a tradition here at Utah State and a congregation point. And we will be able to eat real and really yummy chocolate that you can’t just get at the store,” Lea said.

With the uniqueness that is having a chocolate factory in the building, residents also are hoping to see some unique flavors.

“I want to see them make pumpkin spice flavored chocolate. It needs to be a thing,” Brashears said.

The Aggie Chocolate Factory will also include a cafe where chocolates and other confections can be purchased. While the factory had its sneak peek during CASS week, its official operating hours are still in the works. Aggie Chocolate Factory hopes to be fully operating to the public by Oct. 13, just in time for homecoming week.

—shelby.black@aggiemail.usu.edu

@shelbsterblack