This Easter is like no other, with Coronavirus restrictions in place, but Melanice Jacobsen from Cha Cha Chocolate has found that the Easter Spirit is well and truly alive, not only here in Bundaberg, but around Australia.
8 months ago Melanice starting placing her European Easter orders and in February started decorating the shop
And then news of the Coronavirus pandemic started to spread.
“When we realized that Coronavirus would affect us in Australia when it came to trading and social spacing I lost sleep for weeks.
“It was a highly emotional time and something I will never forget.”
“Every night during those weeks when I left the shop I looked around and thought if I am closed before Easter it’s possible I may not recover with the cost of all this Easter Stock.
“I had this gut feeling though that everything would work out.”
Cha Cha Chocolate website to the rescue
Ever the practical businesswoman, Melanice sprang into action.
“Luckily when people were told to stay home we had a fully functional website but we knew we had to scramble, FAST!
“We offered FREE delivery in Bundaberg & around Australia for orders over $80.
“I loaded over 350 products into the website within days.”
Melanice was overcome with the response she received.
“The local support has been overwhelming,
“We had a lady who drove from Maryborough just to buy her Easter products from us.
“A lady who had lost her job that day wanted to support a local business with her last pay check and stopped in on her way.
“People popping in to buy a small Chocolate just to “support us” was so special.
“It was not just Bundaberg that rallied behind us it was Australia, we shipped over 560 orders for Easter & everyone who placed an order with us Is enjoying a little bit of Bundaberg for Easter. “
Sold out by Easter
The final outcome was something she only dreamed about.
“We sold out!!
“The last 6 days have been insanely busy in the shop, shipping out hundreds of orders and over 400 local Easter deliveries, we sold out!
“I will never forget this season, I will remember the sheer determination of my customers to keep my business alive during this period and the joy this has brought to my life in my darkest moments.
“I felt like I have gone to war to survive in the last few weeks and my customers went to war with me.”
Melanice has all her customers to thank, but her biggest thanks go to her family.
“My biggest fans are my family, my mum, dad & ally, my sister Tara, my husband Tim, Ella & Megan.
“You all worked with me and for me for up to 12 hours a day to ensure we made it, thank you!”
Easter has always been a special time for Melanice, but now even more so.
“Easter is a magical time of the year for me, even as a little girl the Easter bunny was always bigger than Santa Claus
“I have loved chocolate all my life and I love the thought of a big fluffy bunny bringing me Easter eggs and bunnies.
“My phone is already getting flooded with photos of my customers’ kids receiving their Easter baskets and bunnies, lots of golden tickets found in Wonka bars this morning… make me so happy!
“Easter this year will be like no other.
“Whatever I took for granted before now will never be taken for granted again!”
Competition winners
Cha Cha Chocolate ran a number of Easter competitions, with a record number of entries in the kids colouring-in competition.
Colouring In Competition Winner
Nicholas Krebs
Large Candy Egg
1st prize Amy Warmington
2nd Prize Selina Baldy
Chocolate Egg
1st prize Kerrie Martell
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