There's nothing like a good piece of chocolate.
And last night at the Weiss Tech House, approximately 35 students gathered to learn about the business and process of making chocolate from the owner of The Chocolate Guy himself, James Glass.
Students were also treated to samples of his desserts, including dark chocolate, pistachio bark and milk chocolate caramel popcorn.
Glass, who owns and operates two stores in Philadelphia -- including the one on the Penn campus -- shared with the audience his year and a half worth of experience as a chocolatier.
Glass was raised in West Philadelphia, attended University City High School and was at one time the top basketball player in Philadelphia.
After graduating from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he played basketball on a scholarship, Glass shot hoops in Iceland for two years, returning to America to work in the corporate world before turning to modeling and acting.
Although Glass describes himself as "a chocaholic," his interest in making chocolate did not surface until he attended an African-American film festival in Toronto, where he met a chocolatier who taught him the sweet tricks of the trade.
Glass then moved to Toronto, and after only one month of apprenticeship, bought the recipe from his teacher and opened his first store at 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Philadelphia.
"I prayed about it and God answered," Glass said about his fortune in opening his first shop. "Finally it all came together ... it's been great. It's been a dream come true."
In his presentation, Glass talked about different varieties of chocolate, including what makes chocolate white, milk or dark, as well as his own process for turning cocoa beans into chocolate.
Glass detailed how after he imports cocoa beans from Mexico, he roasts, cooks, grinds and then skims the beans to produce his unique confection.
Although he would not reveal his recipes, Glass told the crowd that it is "a Belgian chocolate recipe."
However, Glass did not only focus on the culinary aspect of his career, but also spoke to students about the business side of running his store.
Glass, who admits he initially "did not have a good [business] strategy," encouraged students to "be proactive" and advised them to "go with the flow" and cater to the consumers' likes and dislikes.
Engineering sophomore Dominique Low said she appreciated his advice. She said it was "wonderful" how Glass explained the different aspects of the business as well as the process of making chocolate.
Glass also discussed the possibility of opening a cafe on the Penn campus sometime in the near future, where he plans to sell coffee, cakes and his chocolate creations.
As to his experience with Penn and his future plans, Glass added, "I think it's going to be a long-term venture. I would love it to be."
CORRECTION: This article incorrectly identifies James Glass as the owner of The Chocolate Guy. Glass is the shop's chocolatier and founder. The Chocolate Guy is a corporation of which Glass is not a majority owner.
