From the shelves of Southern Season in Chapel Hill all the way out to Oregon, Chapel Hill Toffee has stolen the hearts and the taste buds of sweet-toothed people nationwide.
Karen Graves formally founded the company in 2008, as her homemade toffee became a staple confection at Southern Season. Despite the its remarkable growth in the past 10 years, Chapel Hill Toffee has remained a family business, handmade and dedicated to giving back.
The toffee, which is a blend of dark chocolates and pecans, has been gifted and sent to six different continents and is sold all across the United States.
But Christy Graves, Karen Graves’ daughter-in-law, says her family has a lot more to be proud of than just their product’s success.
Beyond producing toffee, Chapel Hill Toffee — and the Graves family – remains dedicated to giving back to the people and the place they love. Among other things, this mission includes giving to the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Christy Graves’s mother, Dina, volunteered large amounts of her time to Chapel Hill Toffee. After Dina died of ovarian cancer last year, Christy and Mark Graves established Dina’s Dynasty, a fund that helps create a reliable screening process and top-notch care for ovarian cancer patients.
“When we were first getting our factory off the ground, we were in way over our heads,” said Christy Graves. “The person who showed up to help us every single day we were there was my mom … We didn’t pay her a dime. She just would help with everything. She helped me pack shipments. She helped us sprinkle pecans on the toffee. She was there every day, without a doubt.”
The Graves Family prides themselves on keeping their business family-oriented, no matter how fast Chapel Hill Toffee continues to grow.
According to Christy Graves, the fund was the best way to say thank you to her mother. Additionally, sales from every box of Chapel Hill Toffee – as well as Griff’s Toffee, the sibling brand named after Karen Graves’s late husband – contribute to Dina’s Dynasty.
Strong family ties contribute to the continued success of Chapel Hill Toffee, as well. In her role as vice president, Christy Graves specializes in sales, marketing and the development of fun new recipes. Karen Graves still helps to make every batch. Mark Graves serves as President and oversees production. Recently, Karen Graves’s oldest son Scott joined the team.
“We still make it all by hand, and that is one of the things that we are extremely proud of,” said Christy Graves.
According to Christy, her husband Mark is even still responsible for taste-testing every batch — despite the massive quantities they produce.
“I would have to say that our biggest accomplishment is that we started off in my mother-in-law’s kitchen and made it by hand on her little four-burner stove and [eventually were] able to scale it up,” said Christy. “We have a factory now. So, we’re no longer in her kitchen, but my husband and my mother-in-law still make every batch by hand.”
While the brand continues to grow and Chapel Hill Toffee is found in more places than ever before, the Graves family is determined to stay true to their Tar Heel roots
“Our branding represents our hometown which we are super proud of, clearly,” said Christy Graves. “My husband and I were both born and raised in Chapel Hill. My family lives in Chapel Hill. His family lives in Chapel Hill. It’s in our blood. We bleed Carolina Blue.”
Photos courtesy of Christy Graves
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