Mayor Joe Solomon had to travel no further than a half mile from City Hall to get a taste of Ecuador.

On Tuesday, July 24, Solomon visited the Chocolate Delicacy in Apponaug, tasting the sweet yet bitter chocolate the store gets imported from Ecuador to make their truffles. Having visited over 20 businesses before this, including Blazing Editions, an art gallery where he met with the owner and the featured artists, Solomon has made it clear that he is in support of Warwick business.

“I have spoken to business owners about their concerns and complaints,” Solomon stated Tuesday morning, “and the one concern is for survival and growth in Warwick. I welcome business into our community and hope to help it expand in this community.”

Solomon said he is also listening to businesses, but so far hasn’t heard any complaints.

At Chocolate Delicacy the mayor took a tour of the delicious smelling facility, where he tasted chocolate through each step of the manufacturing process. According to Dave Schaller, Marie’s husband and co-owner of the shop, “it takes a long time for the process to happen.”

With large pieces of chocolate being placed into the machine at the beginning, being melted and reformed into drops, and then being filled with a raspberry filling, coming out as small raspberry truffles at the end of the whole process. “We should put you to work,” Schaller remarked to the mayor while eating the finished product.

At the end of the behind the scenes tour, the Mayor was then brought to the front of the shop to take a look around. Dozens of delectable chocolates and truffles and fudges were on display behind a counter, with a wedding display set up in the middle of the store. The mayor remarked on how similar the Schaller’s son’s wedding pictures looked to his own, and how he used to have the “same head of hair.”

After the tour Mayor Solomon sweet-talked the Schallers, welcoming them to the community. The Schallers moved to the Warwick location, at 28 Gilbane Street, from Main Street in East Greenwich this past August.

According to Marie, they moved because their new location “has more space, and much better parking.” The mayor reminisced on his first week in office, when he received a gift of chocolate from Chocolate Delicacy.

“It was my survival kit. I was so busy that first week that I ate it for lunch. It was gone by the end of the week,” Solomon said. Marie then advised against eating only chocolate for lunch.

As the mayor left, he gave out his appreciations for the shop and wished the business well

“We invite all business to come into Warwick and expand here,” and then the mayor added, about Chocolate Delicacy, “It’s great stuff, go visit.”