Meet Dan Friedman | Food entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dan Friedman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dan, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
This business was started to provide jobs for people with disabilities of all types. Doesn’t change the world, just our little part of it, but we provide paying and fulfilling work for people with physical and/or intellectual disabilities here in the Triangle region of North Carolina. We provide those jobs by making delicious, natural watermelon limeade and peach limeade, two Southern-style drinks.

What should our readers know about your business?
This business makes products that we are proud of. While many people support us because they believe in the cause of creating jobs for the disabled, we never rely on that support to sell our products. From the very beginning we have been determined to make and sell products that can stand on their own, charitable purpose notwithstanding.

We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Hope they’re not vegan! North Carolina makes some of the best barbecue around, although our fried chicken is formidable as well. We’re located between the beach and the mountains, and a good visit would include both. The Raleigh-Durham area is extremely well-endowed with live music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This product would not have taken off without the small shop owners who took a chance on an unknown product and gave it space on their shelves. Big grocery chains wouldn’t even take our calls.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chocolateinnovationsllc/

Image Credits
All of these images are owned by Chocolate Innovations, LLC / Special Treats