From Cocoa Bean to Bar: The Journey of Craft Chocolate in Rushville

In this heartwarming episode of The Hoel Truth Podcast, we sit down with Dustin Cornett, co-owner of the Chocolat Café in Rushville, Indiana, and founder of the Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival.

From growing up in eastern Kentucky to starting a family, running a bed and breakfast, and eventually moving to Rushville — Dustin shares his incredible journey of how chocolate, family, and community came together in one small Indiana town. He opens up about:

-Failing his grandmother’s candy recipes… until a key memory unlocked the magic
-Self-teaching chocolate-making after living in Japan
-The process of launching an international chocolate festival in a town of 6,000 people
-What makes real chocolate different — and better — than mass-produced bars
-His family's passion-led entrepreneurship

📍 Rushville, Indiana
📆 Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival: https://www.midwestcraftchocolatefest...
🍫 Visit Chocolat Café: https://www.chocolat-inn.com/
🎟️ VIP Tix: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/midwest-...
🎙️ Hosted by Hoel Roofing & Remodeling

00:00 - Why Rushville, IN for a Chocolate Shop?
00:25 - Meet Dustin Cornett of Chocolat Café
00:39 - From Kentucky Roots to Craft Chocolate
01:17 - Grandma’s Bonbons Spark a Chocolate Journey
02:53 - Learning to Make Real Chocolate
04:18 - Life Before Rushville: B&B + Chocolate in KY
06:11 - The Decision to Move to Indiana
08:12 - Rushville’s Welcoming Community
09:19 - Living in Japan & Meeting His Wife
11:10 - Starting Over with Family Entrepreneurship
12:30 - Self-Taught Baking: A Love Story
14:16 - Business + Marriage = Growing Together
17:01 - Roles at the Café: Coffee, Cheesecakes & Candy
18:03 - Prioritizing Family Over Profit
19:58 - Festival Growth + Community Support
25:16 - Birth of the Midwest Craft Chocolate Festival
27:27 - Chocolate Makers from Around the World
30:20 - How Cacao is Grown, Fermented & Shipped
33:04 - Real White Chocolate vs. Industrial Candy
34:13 - Vision for the Festival: Education & Sustainability
38:26 - New Chocolate Bars & Rushville Packaging
40:13 - Partnership with Hard Truth Distillery
42:16 - Aging Bourbon-Infused Chocolate Nibs
43:16 - How You Can Support Dustin’s Work
44:00 - VIP Night: Bourbon, Wine, and Chocolate Pairings
48:15 - Final Thoughts: Vision, Community, and Support

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