The new owners intend to maintain the Moonstruck brand, which will still be made in Portland, although it will transition to an online, big-box model.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Moonstruck Chocolate, Oregon’s famous brand of artisan chocolates, is sold at Chocolate Works, a chocolate manufacturer and marketer based in Freeport, New York.
The new owners will retain the Moonstruck brand and continue the company’s manufacturing operations in Portland, according to Chocolate Works CEO Joe Whaley, but Moonstruck’s retail stores will close in favor of an online retail model. and big box preferred by Chocolate Works.
The three outlets in Beaverton, St. Johns and Northwest 23rd Avenue in Portland will close on July 8, according to a news release from Moonstruck. The transaction closed in June and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
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“Leading Moonstruck has been the highlight of my professional career,” CEO Russell Sneddon said in a statement. “I am so grateful to our amazing staff and loyal customers who have supported us all these years. We look forward to seeing the growth and transformation of the brand under Chocolate Works as the brand transitions from a regional favorite to the national stage.”
Sneddon and his wife Rachael took ownership of the business in 2020, succeeding previous owners Dave and Sally Bany. The company was founded in 1993, according to its website.
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“We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the Moonstruck Chocolate brand and assets,” Whaley said in a statement. “This acquisition will give us a much-needed presence on the West Coast to better serve our current and potential customers.”
Moonstruck’s current manufacturing plant in St. Johns will be closed, but the brand will still be manufactured locally at one of the company’s other facilities on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, Whaley said, with all of its local operations consolidated on that site.
Chocolate Works has made job offers for many Moonstruck manufacturing and office workers, he said, but many retail workers will be laid off.
