If you understand the phrase up at the lake, then you've probably had the chance to visit the Brainerd Lakes Area. And perhaps no one can relate to this nostalgia and relaxation more than Rob and Loriese Stoll. Having met at college, these two quickly realized they were compatible at the most important level: they shared the same passion for candy.

 

Rob's love for root beer barrels and Loriese's fondness for ice cream—combined with fond memories of lake vacations—resulted in The Chocolate Ox store. Merging their love for sweets and vivid nostalgia, the duo set out with only one goal in mind: delivering those delicious candies that vacationers line up for after a day up at the lake.

 

Now, over a decade after the first store opened in Nisswa, Rob and Loriese's story is one part business, one part romance, and all sugary sweet. With three locations in the Brainerd Lakes Area the Chocolate Ox is now synonymous with putting smiles on every customer's face, young and old. But the Ox is more than just a story. It's even more than its renowned candies. The Chocolate Ox is the feeling you had on every summer vacation as a child.