Florence Manwaring loved making chocolates with her mother as she grew up. Friends often told her to open up a chocolate shop, but she wanted to keep it a hobby.
Plans changed in 1981, when her husband was laid off from his job. The couple had inherited the building on S. Center St. in Rexburg, so they decided to take a leap of faith and open the shop, Florence’s Exquisite Chocolates.
Manwaring and her husband traveled the world to find the best recipes and settled on Swiss chocolate for their treats. All the products at Florence’s come straight from her original recipes.
Manwaring’s son, Brian has been in the business since he was 14 years old along with his four siblings. In 1995, he and his wife, Michelle, became the owners.
“We’ve actually been owners longer than my parents were, which is weird to think,” Brian Manwaring said.
Manwaring says the chocolate is unique because there are no waxes or preservatives.
“They melt in your mouth because there’s no wax in the chocolate and they’re nice and smooth and creamy because that’s how we do it,” Manwaring said. “They’re not grainy like some others that you get.”
Although Florence Manwaring no longer brings her personal touch to the shop, the spirit of her work lives on.
“My mom always wanted it to be like family, and that’s the same way with customers. When they come in, we try to get to know them and get to know a little bit about them and then hopefully remember their names when they come back in,” said Manwaring.
Florence’s Exquisite Chocolates is located at 25 S. Center St., Rexburg, ID. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.