Sweet Success: Immigrant Entrepreneur Marc Forrat Expands Chocolate Business, Making Dreams Affordable for All
Marc Forrat, owner of Forrat's Chocolates. Supplied photo.
When Brazilian-born Marc Forrat was one of the I Am London faces back in 2014, his dream was to grow his business, Forrat’s Chocolate, and serve as an inspiration to others in the wider London community.
Today, nearly 10 years later, Forrat is doing just that and more.
Forrat has now relocated his business to a new location at 2190 Dundas St., thanks to a grant awarded to his company by the federal government.
The grant, administered by FedDev Ontario, a federal agency that “delivers programs and services to support innovation and economic growth in southern Ontario,” has also allowed him to upgrade, modernize and grow the factory where his chocolate is produced.
But more importantly, Forrat says, the new cash injection is allowing him to offer a high-end product to customers at an affordable price at a time when prices for everything else seem to be going through the roof.
"That's been a dream of mine for almost 40 years," he said.
"When I was a kid in Brazil, I was always waiting for a bus at this bus stop that was in front of this chocolate shop, and I would see all these kids going in with their parents . . . and all I ever wanted to do was buy some chocolates for my mom from that store.
"Well, now we are a high-end chocolate manufacturer selling chocolates at an affordable price and I want to make sure that every kid can afford it."
Though the cost of producing chocolates has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic, Forrat says they haven't risen so much to justify the price at which some companies are selling their products.
While some businesses are now selling products like an Oreo cookie for $2 a piece, Forrat's Chocolates is selling 10 of those for $6.99, or 69 cents apiece.
"It's a big, ambitious project but at the same time it's getting us to a point where now people are starting to pay attention," he said.
"I want to prove to people that it's not necessary to hike prices to succeed. All we need is support from the community. . . I want to be the catalyst for change," added Forrat, who also thanked his family and staff for the success he's experiencing.
"I'm not doing this alone," he said. "It's a combination of people who believe in what I'm doing."
Though the new projects are just starting, Forrat already is setting his sights on what's next: Franchising his brand.
He also encouraged other newcomers with dreams of creating their businesses to focus on providing quality to customers and to work hard for their dreams.
"London is an amazing, very tight community and inclusive community," he said.
"Innovation is something that London likes to see. There are challenges, of course . . . but if you try to give them value, you can make it in London. What you cannot do is give up. If you work hard, there's no limits to what you can do."