Fast-rising, gourmet chocolate manufacturer led by a 27-year-old CEO who started as a dishwasher has quadrupled sales in 5 years and opened a new 10,000 sf facility in a small-town near Syracuse, New York.

Syracuse, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/13/2016 -- Chocolate Pizza Company, Inc., a manufacturer of gourmet chocolate specialties, was honored recently as, "Business of the Year, 2016," by CenterState CEO at their annual award gathering attended by nearly 1,000 Upstate New York business professionals. Based in Syracuse, CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity is a 12-county business leadership and economic development organization that recognizes the top area businesses each year in 5 categories. Chocolate Pizza Company won for companies with under 50 employees.

Receiving the award for Chocolate Pizza Company was its 27-year-old owner, Ryan Novak. A graduate of Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management, Novak started with the company as a dishwasher at age 15 and bought the company 6 years later while still a senior in college. Chocolate Pizza Company was a small-town chocolate shop at the time that has undergone dramatic changes under Novak's leadership.

"What our team has accomplished is remarkable," Novak said, "We are proud to be recognized as Business of the Year and look forward to continuing to build on that success."

Chocolate Pizza Company has seen sales quadruple since 2010 and last fall opened a new 10,000 sf production and retail facility in Novak's hometown of Marcellus, just minutes from Syracuse. Featured on Food Network, the company creates over 100 gourmet chocolate specialties in both a gift and impulse sales line.

About Chocolate Pizza Company
The company's gift line is anchored by its trademarked, signature products – Chocolate Pizza® and Peanut Butter Wings®. Chocolate Pizza blends rich milk or dark chocolate with homemade English toffee, tops it with nuts or candy and serves it in a custom pizza box. Peanut Butter Wings are crisp, rippled potato chips covered in creamy peanut butter and dipped in their gourmet chocolate. Hall of Fame athletes, Supreme Court Justices, A-list celebrities and legions of chocolate fans have enjoyed these unique confections.

The impulse sales best-sellers include mini Chocolate Pizzas, Peanut Butter Sparklers and caramel and nut Drumsticks. These grab-and-go treats are favorites at checkout counters and cash wraps at thousands of retailers across the country including CVS Pharmacy, Hallmark, Sheetz and many more. Chocolate Pizza Company also does holiday corporate gifts for some of the biggest names in business. Handcrafted and "Made in America" are two features that make their products unique, delicious and impressive.

Novak has overcome considerable challenges in his rise to lead an award-winning business at such a young age. He shared insights from that journey in a piece for Entrepreneur.com magazine (Because Life Isn't Easy: 4 Secrets of Success Amid Adversity) and is a frequent speaker at professional forums and events.

Information on Chocolate Pizza Company is available on their website, http://www.chocolatepizza.com.

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Chocolate Pizza Company’s 24 year-old owner, Ryan Novak, opened his Cincinnati store in March and already has been named a finalist in the Best Dessert category of Cincy Magazine’s Best of the East competition.

Marcellus, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 06/26/2013 -- Chocolate Pizza Company Inc.® was recently selected as a finalist in the Best of the East competition sponsored by Cincy Magazine in the category of Best Dessert. The selection was determined by online voting from the magazine's readership and the general public and recognized Chocolate Pizza Company as one of the region's top 3 confectioners in the highly competitive dessert category. It also earned Chocolate Pizza Company an invitation to the Best of the East Celebration on July 18th. Cincy Magazine is a prominent business publication serving Cincinnati and the southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana markets.

"Being recognized as one of the Tri-State's best is an honor and a compliment to the passion of our team," said owner, Ryan Novak. In March, Chocolate Pizza Company opened a store in the entry atrium of Jungle Jim's International Market (4450 Eastgate Blvd, Cincinnati, OH) and immediately attracted a strong following of food enthusiasts who appreciate gourmet chocolate with a whimsical twist.

The company's signature confection, Chocolate Pizza, blends rich milk or dark chocolate with homemade English toffee that is poured into rounds and topped with pecans, almonds, walnuts and white chocolate drizzle and served in a genuine pizza box. Chocolate Pizza comes in a variety of sizes and toppings and is a popular choice for business or personal gifts. Chocolate Pizza Company also makes Peanut Butter Wings™ - crisp, rippled potato chips covered in creamy peanut butter and dipped in chocolate. Paired together, the company's "Pizza & Wings Combo" is a taste sensation that is exploding in popularity. Chocolate Pizza Company also creates over 100 specialty chocolates for retail and wholesale markets.

Featured on Food Network's hit show, Unwrapped, Chocolate Pizza Company is a 25 year-old business headquartered in Marcellus, NY that has tripled sales the past 3 years under Novak's leadership. Novak started with the company at age 15, washing dishes and mopping floors. He bought the company 6 years later at age 21 while still a senior at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management where he graduated with a degree in entrepreneurship. Chocolate Pizza Company has stores in Marcellus and Manlius, NY, Shelton, CT and Cincinnati, OH and wholesales to more than 1,000 retailers across the country including Hallmark stores, wineries and gift boutiques.

"My vision has always been to transform Chocolate Pizza Company into a national brand," Novak says, "Selection as a finalist in the Best Dessert category for the Best of the East competition is a step in reaching that goal. We are proud to be in the company of the best in our craft."

To learn more about Chocolate Pizza Company, visit its website, http://www.chocolatepizza.com and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.

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