Stephen Story always loved the homemade cocoa his mother gave him as a boy, but as an adult, he found that the "big three" cocoa manufacturers produced a watered-down drink that he couldn't stomach.
Story, a food chemist and entrepreneur, whipped up his own cocoa and loved it. It also was a hit with his wife, Jan, with whom he has five sons.
One Christmas, Story made packages of cocoa for neighbors and fellow church members. "It was my wife's idea," Story said. "We didn't have much money. It was our gift to everyone."
The recipients loved the rich cocoa mix, and it became such a holiday tradition that throughout the year, they'd ask Story if he planned to give it again. At first, it just came in simple plastic bags. Then Story packaged it more elaborately in bottles and then cans with labels.
From there, Story began packaging cocoa in his garage for commercial sales, and in 1990, Stephen's Gourmet Kitchens was born. The Stephen's Gourmet Cocoa brand now comes in many flavors and fat- and sugar-free varieties. It is sold in supermarkets, discount stores and warehouse clubs including Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Costco, primarily in the western United States.
"It's a miracle to me," Story said. "It started in a garage and blew into $100,000 worth of sales. We started with one flavor and just kept adding flavors. It's the funnest business. In the holiday season, it's huge."
Since the company is privately held, Story doesn't disclose sales figures but reports it is doing well.
He and his wife have never taken a salary or profit from the firm. Instead, money has been put back into the business to make it grow, but any profits go into a trust fund for their son, Dallin, 11, who was born with cerebral palsy.
At first, the company grew through word-of-mouth advertising and as its Utah customers began sharing it with relatives and friends who lived elsewhere, the market blossomed.
"Today, we have a following that is so loyal and so emotionally tied to the product because it's made in Utah, made by a Utah scientist, distributed and manufactured in Utah. It's been a wonderful thing for us," he said.
The energetic and upbeat Story has turned much of the operation over to business partners to pursue other interests.
Today, Story is focusing on Morinda, a health-supplement firm based in Provo that he said sells $30 million in "Tahitian noni juice" per month. Story and his longtime partner, John Wadsworth, found a way to make the awful-tasting noni fruit juice taste good. The two men joined with Kim and Kerry Asay and later with Kelly Olsen to form the Morinda company.
The noni fruit grows on the islands of French Polynesia and is enormously popular with the people there because they believe it has many health benefits.
To improve the flavor and add extra nutrients, Story and Wadsworth produced a mixture that is 89 percent noni juice and 11 percent blueberry and red grape juice.
Story does not make lots of health claims about Tahitian noni juice and doesn't bill it as a vitamin or mineral supplement.
However, his personal observations are that drinking it himself has helped clear up a chronic sinus problem and has eased joint aches and pains from football injuries. Story also is convinced the juice has strengthened his immune system. He said he has had only two colds in the past five years, and those have been very mild.
Today, Story's son Dallin is doing "very, very well," the juice is a blockbuster, and Stephen's Gourmet Cocoa is moving along nicely.
"I've developed thousands of products in my life for hundreds of companies worldwide, but it's so neat as I look back. I'm 47, and the two products that I really devoted everything to are one, the cocoa, and two, Tahitian noni juice," Story said. "I get to work on two things that people love."
E-MAIL: lindat@desnews.com