Dancing Bear Chocolates Brings Joy to Minneapolis

If you’ve been anywhere near Thomas Avenue North, you might have spotted a cute little corner shop advertising “Chocolate, Gelato, Pastry & Smiles.” This is the home of Dancing Bear Chocolates, an artisan-crafted sweets shop you won’t want to miss.

About the Founders

This delightful shop was founded by partners Steven Howard and Joe Skiffer in 2017, who still run the shop today. They fully launched the company in January 2018.

Steven got his start in Minneapolis in 1979, working in various kitchens and restaurants including 510 Groveland, Pam Sherman’s, Le Quatre Amis, and more. In 1985 he landed a position with D’Amico Partners as an Executive Pastry Chef where he worked for almost a decade.

He then spent the next few years honing his craft for RSVP Cruise Line as their Executive Chef, not to mention working with a chocolate company on Nantucket. He spent some time in Oklahoma where he opened Kokoa Chocolatier before returning to Minneapolis, which he always considered home, in 2011.

In 2015 Steven was named Executive Chef of Open Arms, a nonprofit providing meals for those living with life threatening illness, and he considers this position one of his greatest honors.

Joe has an extensive background in retail, sales, and nonprofit management, working with names like Caribou Coffee, Dunn Bros, PPL, and Open Book.

Joe and Steven met in 2013 and were married three years later. Together, they make a formidable team. In 2017, they founded Dancing Bear Chocolates.

Dancing Bear Chocolates’ History

When Joe and Steven started the shop, they operated mainly through wholesale, pop-up, and online events, as they both held full-time positions elsewhere. But barely a year into the business, they decided to explore a leased retail location to expand.

On New Year’s Day in 2019, Joe received an email about a 1930s-era building in the Victory Neighborhood of Minneapolis, barely 5 blocks away from their current home. The timing and location couldn’t have been better.

In April of that year, they purchased their current location at 4367 Thomas Avenue North, rezoned the property, and remodeled it into a brand-new kitchen and retail store. Business ran smoothly until 2020, when COVID hit.

How the Store Weathered the Pandemic

“Pre-COVID, our business plan was to operate a retail store one weekend per month, and to grow our wholesale and catering business,” says Joe. “We also planned to sell gelato through a walkup service window that was installed during the remodel.”

It turns out that walkup window was what saved the business during 2020. Joe and Steven received their occupancy permit in April 2020, right at the start of the lockdown, so in-store access was limited.

“On opening day, Friday, May 8, 2020, our customers lined up around the building and purchased everything we had,” says Joe. “We closed early that day so we could produce more product for the following day.”

Saturday May 9th, customers once again completely swept through their inventory, devouring (literally) every product they had. “We were unable to open on Mother’s Day [that year] because we had nothing to sell!” says Joe.

Within just a few weeks of the opening, Joe and Steven realized how successful their business was turning out to be. So instead of only opening one weekend per month, they shifted to 4–5 days per week, and Joe left his full-time position to be fully invested in the store.

For the first four months since opening in May 2020, they operated their business completely through the walkup window. Slowly, they were able to transition customers inside, though it had to be one at a time.

Today, Steven and Joe operate their 100% retail business with the help of three part-time and seasonal employees.

Dancing Bear Chocolates Now

Dancing Bear Chocolates offers approximately 180 different types of rotating menu items. Some of the customer favorites are their key lime pie, fruit and savory hand-pies, crème brûlée, wheat-free almond cloud cookies, and handcrafted chocolate bars.

They also offer more than a dozen flavors of gelato and ice cream, with raspberry and mango among the favorites, all handmade by the team.

In addition to their delectable treats, giving back to the community and community engagement are a huge part of what they do and how they operate.

“We operate a small Farmers Market on Sundays from 9am to 2pm,” says Joe. “We serve a hot breakfast burrito every Sunday from 8:30am to 11am.”

They also offer a pickup site for 30 members of the Brown Family Farm CSA crop shares from June through October, sponsor a Little League baseball team and the fields they play on, are a platinum 50% sponsor for Dining Out for Life, and sponsor the Victory Spring Candy Grab and photos with the Easter Bunny.

Additionally, they have a Twinkle Market in December, including photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, plus an outdoor Artisan Holiday Market. Not to mention hosting the Red Cross Bloodmobile, plus fundraisers for various charities, local community programs, and events.

Plus, they’re proud to offer a Little Free Library with a focus on children’s books and cookbooks. To say they value their community’s well being is an understatement.

Though it’s not to say everything is success, charity, and fun. “Like many small businesses, our daily challenge is getting our name out to people who enjoy the types of products we offer,” says Joe. “Love it or hate it, social media and search engines are where we see the best results for our modest advertising budget.”

Visit Dancing Bear Chocolates Today

“Our business tagline is ‘Chocolate, Gelato, Pastry & Smiles.’ It’s on our front windows and on the back of our T-shirts, it’s the core of what Dancing Bear Chocolates is,” says Joe. “We are a unique business located in a wonderful neighborhood, come see us!”

What are you waiting for? Stop by Dancing Bear Chocolates at 4367 Thomas Avenue North and pick yourself up a delightful treat today!