Do you love chocolate? I mean, do you really love chocolate? Then the Fantasy Fountain is the innovation you have been dreaming about while sitting in your living room eating brownies and Devil Dogs.
The simple-to-use device, created less than a year ago by former Hoboken resident and now modern day Willy Wonka Frank Pasquale, is a high-scale fountain that spouts chocolate from its top opening. It comes in three sizes and ranges from $1,500 to $3,000. But right now, Pasquale said, people are not asking how much it is. They are asking how they can purchase one, or two, or three.
The fountain is making the rounds at restaurant and service industry shows. The response is always positive, and demand for the fountain grows everyday. The overwhelming market has forced Pasquale to expand his family’s 40-year-old Hoboken company, which has specialized in luxury fountains for champagne and wine.
Pasquale maintains a headquarters on Adams Street in Hoboken, but administrative offices and showrooms have been moved to Lackawanna Avenue in West Paterson. A consulting firm from Pittstown and a bunch of Oompa Loompas (managers) are working on the company’s growth plan.
"Beverage fountains are unique novelty products," Pasquale said. "I had the idea of using chocolate for a while and we worked on it last summer. After testing a bunch of different chocolates, we finally got it right," Pasquale said.
The chocolate used for the fountain is a special blend of high content cocoa butter and cacao (raw chocolate), with some preservatives and cream.
A $5,000 check
Pasquale’s journey to chocolate land began after one of his steady customers asked him for a fountain that could be used with chocolate last summer. Pasquale thought the man was kidding, so he jokingly asked for a check for $5,000 to make the chocolate fountain.
The next day Pasquale found the check in the mail. In the spirit of the customer-is-always-right, Pasquale devoted a few months trying to make the chocolate fountain work. After many hours and gaining 25 pounds, he perfected the fountain and delivered it to his client. The innovation inspired him to shop his product around.
Last October, Pasquale was invited to present the fountain at a fundraiser at a country club in Basking Ridge. The people’s feedback surprised him.
"Everyone wanted to know how it worked. Some of them wanted to buy one right there," he said. "That’s really when we started thinking big."
After Basking Ridge, Pasquale and company began showcasing the fountain at shows, including the Taste of Weehawken fundraiser in April at Lincoln Harbor. At that event, area residents inquired about the fountain, and it was one of the highlights of the evening.
"We met several contacts at the show and they’ve resulted in sales," said Fantasy Fountain Company Vice-President Deborah Desiderio. "Right now, business is as sweet as chocolate."
Eventually Pasquale plans on adding distributors who can open their own branches.
Dipping suggestions include strawberries, pineapple, oranges, kiwi, pears, apples, bananas, tea biscuits, coconut macaroons, Oreos, vanilla or sugar wafers, chocolate chips, pretzels, marshmallows, and frozen Twinkies. The machine does not melt chocolate, but it will keep it warm at about 100 to 110 degrees, Pasquale said.
The fountains come in three sizes. The large requires 14 pounds of chocolate and serves 500 people. The medium requires seven pounds and serves 250 people. The small requires 5 to 7 pounds and serves up to 125 people.
The chocolate may be reused in the fountain or for any other purpose. Before use, it should be started between 15 to 20 minutes prior and it should be cleaned within four to six hours of use. It carries a one-year warranty on mechanical parts and a lifetime warranty on all other parts. In addition to chocolate, the fountain can serve cheese fondue, caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce and barbecue sauce, Pasquale said.
The future looks bright for Pasquale. He will continue to exhibit the fountain at shows and he is launching a marketing initiative in the fall. He is targeting hotels and restaurants.
"We want to continue to build a strong base of clients," Pasquale said.
The machines can be rented rather than purchased.
Getting it out there
Business management consultant Mel Lofurno of the Lofurno Corporation in Pittstown was hired by Pasquale last fall to assist in the company’s expansion. The first thing Lofurno did was offer advice in the launching of the product to the public. Now the company is focused on the execution of their marketing initiatives.
"The product offers a whimsical elegance. It’s fun to take a pastry and dip it in fresh chocolate," Lofurno said.
Pasquale’s Fantasy Fountain Company can be reached at (877) 977-4692 or www.thefantasyfountain.com. q
The Current‘s top five chocolate bars
Writing about the Fantasy Fountain in this issue made the staff at the Current crave delicious chocolate. So we visited a local candy store and enjoyed our favorite bars. As a result, we decided to compile a list for our readers of what we think are five of the greatest bars of all-time. (We consider ourselves an authority in chocolate tasting.)
*Snickers. The granddaddy of the Mars chocolate dynasty, Snickers does put a quick stop to hunger and satisfies the tummy. Willy Wonka wishes he came up with the bar with crunchy peanuts and caramel. It’s good to have around at the gym for a real energy boost, and not those useless power-bars. Just thinking about one makes me hungry.
*Milky Way. Smooth like jazz and it goes down easy. Frozen Milky Ways are the best. They are ideal during hot summer nights after dinner, when you are looking for the perfect not-so-nutritious dessert.
*Twix. Sweet, sweet caramel on two very tasty cookie bars, Twix is the candy bar for the trendy cool kids on the block. Its cousin, Peanut Butter Twix, is delicious too, but the caramel is just a classic. They are easy to share, but why bother? Our editor likes to microwave the caramel ones and put them on ice cream.
*Butterfinger. Let’s thank Bart Simpson for highlighting this underdog in the candy bar world. Break out of the ordinary with the long chocolate covered cookie with a sweet butter coating. "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger" indeed. (If you like the nutty taste but don’t want the chocolate on top, try a Zagnut.)
*3 Musketeers. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s the attitude when enjoying a 3 Musketeers bar. Light, airy and full of fluff or "nougat," this classic candy bar is notorious for its thick creamy milk chocolate. Don’t eat it too fast, just go at your own pace. The bar takes its name from the original design of the product, which was three pieces of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
Honorable mentions include: 5th Avenue, Crunch, and Baby Ruth. – Current staff