Norman Love marks 25 years of chocolate innovation

Norman Love is a household name among chocolate connoisseurs, iconic for his pioneering use of color, turning treats that traditionally came in shades of brown into vibrant jewels of delectable modern art. Painted in hues like Key lime green or sunset pink flecked with sky blue, the chocolates also reflect Love’s South Florida roots. 

Love will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Norman Love Confections in October, the company he founded in Fort Myers. Speaking at a joint SanCap Chamber and Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce luncheon April 14 at Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, Love shared stories illustrating the personal philosophies and key moments that shaped the company’s growth, including an early midlife crisis that led him to chocolate and the discovery of medical shipping containers that helped expand the brand. 

With about 180 employees, more than double its workforce a decade ago, the company produces millions of chocolates and pastries each year, selling them through e-commerce and eight retail stores across Southwest and South Florida. 

Born in Philadelphia, Love moved with his family to Hollywood, Florida, in 10th grade, where he washed dishes at a Chinese diner and made ice cream at Swensen’s during high school. 

He later worked at a pastry shop in Lussan, France, and at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles before joining The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, where his career as a leading pastry chef took off. Love traveled the world overseeing pastry and baking operations and, through a Ritz-Carlton customer, appeared on Julia Child’s PBS television show “Baking with Julia.” 

His career as an internationally known chocolatier came later, unexpectedly, in his early 40s. 

In 2001, Love left his job at The Ritz-Carlton, which had left little time for his young family. 

“I was never home, I was always on the airplanes and I was always working,” Love said. “And I was struggling with myself to find balance in life.” 

While his professional successes continued, including his role in creating the Food Network show “The Challenge,” Love felt uneasy about leaving the security of his corporate job. He turned to chocolate, the ultimate comfort food. 

“During this time, I began to get so nervous that I began to make chocolates,” Love said. “As a pastry chef I had always worked with chocolate. In fact, globally, everywhere I went in the world, chocolate was always the most well-received dessert. [It] was a way for me to hopefully supplement income. And I started to put color on chocolates, you see, because I always believe Americans eat with their eyes.” 

He said he didn’t invent the technique of applying colored cocoa butter, but was the first to use it on confections, a move that initially drew skepticism from peers who insisted bright colors didn’t belong on chocolate. He joked that much of the pushback came from Swiss chocolatiers, drawing laughs, and said he now takes pride in seeing the once-criticized approach widely embraced, with chocolates today as visually striking as they are delicious. 

Only a few weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the Loves opened their first retail shop off Daniels Parkway. He grew the company with a product-first mindset, guided by an obsession with quality shaped by The Ritz-Carlton’s service philosophy. 

“I have never been the guy that worries about how much,” Love said. “It has to be about how good.” 

As the company expanded, it faced a key challenge: how to ship confections so they arrive in perfect condition. At the time, Love rented space from a friend in the home health care business and discovered insulated boxes used to ship medical supplies — a biodegradable, FDA-approved, temperature-controlled carton that proved ideal for chocolates. 

“That revolutionized my company,” he said, adding that Norman Love Confections now ships about 150,000 packages per year, primarily around Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, making it one of FedEx’s top regional customers. 

The company’s growth has been bolstered by a long list of accolades. In its second year, business surged after USA Today named Love one of the top 10 artisan chocolate makers in the U.S. Still, Love defines success based on a lesson from his first day of training at The Ritz-Carlton. 

“I always [thought] that I wanted to be successful one day,” Love said. “And what I learned that day sitting in The Ritz-Carlton ballroom was success is every day. You come to work every day to be successful. It’s not something in the future. What the future is is called reward.”