After a fire on Feb. 1 forced them to move, certified chocolatier Carrie Powell and her husband, Dennis, recently have opened Sandpoint Chocolate Bear, at 11425 E. Trent, in Spokane Valley.

The 7-year-old chocolate company previously was located at 204 N. First, in Sandpoint, before a fire that started in an adjoining business sent the Powells searching for a new locale.

“The building was a total loss,” says Carrie Powell of the former location, which was just off Sandpoint’s
City Beach.

The couple’s search for a new location didn’t last long as they used the opportunity to convert office space for their construction business -- Powell Construction – into the chocolate shop on Trent. Sandpoint Chocolate Bear reopened its doors in July.

“There was enough room to move all of our production equipment here,” says Powell, who earned her certification through the Vancouver, British Columbia-based Ecole Chocolat school.

The current location doesn’t have customer seating due to its smaller space; however, the company takes orders online and can ship to customers. Sandpoint Chocolate Bear is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

“The summer months were slow, but we’re starting to see things pick back up,” she says.