Monticello Main Street offers ‘Chocolate on Main’

     Monticello Main Street is working to offer a sweet treat to downtown Monticello just in time for Valentine’s Day.

    “Chocolate on Main” will be held Saturday, Feb. 10 throughout the downtown and with other participating businesses.

   “The goal is to get people to Monticello to shop in our businesses,” said Main Street Director Brian Wolken. “This time of the year, post-Christmas, tends to be slower for retailers.”

   In the business world, “R&D” refers to “research and development.” In this case, “R&D” means “rip-off and duplicate.”

   Wolken explained within the Main Street Iowa world, communities share ideas with one another in terms of events and promotions that work, those that don’t.

   “Mount Vernon has a successful chocolate walk,” noted Wolken.

   Events like this are known as “ring the register events.” Local residents and visitors are encouraged to walk up and down the business district, stop in stores and restaurants to see what they have to offer, spend some money, and enjoy a delicious chocolate treat at the same time.

   Each participating business will offer a unique chocolate treat. There are more than 20 participating businesses. Some of the themed treats include: chocolate skincare goodie bag from Oasis Salon & Spa, chocolate-dipped strawberries at Dollar Fresh, “dirt and worms” at Terminal Lance Arms, fudge at Whiffle Tree Mercantile, and bourbon balls at Michael’s Clothing, just to name a few.

   The chocolate walk will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Before you venture out, stop at the Innovation Lab at 9 a.m., at the corner of First and Cedar streets, to receive a free reusable bag and event pin courtesy of Monticello Main Street.

   Wolken also encourages people to come early for breakfast or coffee at one of several breakfast shops, and stay late for lunch or dinner at one of several participating restaurants.

   When you’ve enjoyed as much chocolate as you can stomach, scan the QR code via Main Street and vote for your favorite chocolate treat. The winning business will receive the inaugural traveling Chocolate Walk trophy to display.

   Randomly throughout the day, shoppers at participating businesses will be rewarded with “bonus bucks” at the register when checking out. Those “bucks” must be spent at that store right then and there as an incentive to keep shopping.

   “We want this to be a festive community event,” offered Wolken. “Some businesses might have special promotions or sale in-store that day.”

   To help kickoff Chocolate on Main, the group held a logo design contest. They received a handful of entries, with Monticello High School student Lily Moestchen chosen as the winner with her rendition of the Monticello clock tower as a chocolate bar.

   This event is also a way for potential developers to check out upper-story housing options throughout downtown Monticello.

   “We have over 25 vacant units in our downtown,” noted Wolken. “In most cases, these can be turned into upper-story housing.”

   He said statistics show that if 2 to 3 percent of a town’s population resided within the downtown, those dwellers would flood the downtown market even more.

   “It’d be that much more vibrant.”

   For $20, purchase a ticket at the Innovation Lab to take part in the upper-story housing tour. One ticket will get you access to three different locations: The Schoon Building (Java Jones), Styles-n-Smiles, and Farm Bureau Financial Services (Rob Hunt).

   The idea behind the paid tour is to help Main Street become self-funded by their third year, and to raise funds to inject into Monticello’s downtown.

   “Businesses have indirectly asked us how they can get more people in their doors, especially during these slow times,” Wolken said of the goal with Chocolate on Main.

   For more details, visit “Monticello, IA Main Street” and look for the event page. To inquire about tour tickets, reach out to Wolken at monticelloiowamainstreet@gmail.com.