Hatch Family Chocolates
Address: 376 8th Avenue, Unit A
Telephone: 801-532-4912
Website: hatchfamilychocolates.com
District: Lower Avenues
“People always wonder about us - are we married, are we business partners? The truth is, we’re best friends who’ve built this chocolate shop together, and it’s been an incredible journey.” When Katie Masterson moved from Chicago to Salt Lake City in 2001, she had no idea that a temporary holiday job would lead her to become co-owner of Hatch Family Chocolates. Partnering with Steve Hatch, whose family had a rich tradition in candy making, Katie brought her background in pastries and desserts into the mix, helping to shape what is now one of Salt Lake City’s beloved chocolate shops.
Both Katie and Steve are part of the Little People community, a fact that has shaped their journey in unique ways. They both have a form of dwarfism. Their connection began through the Little People of America (LPA), a nonprofit organization that provides a supportive community for individuals with dwarfism and their families. The LPA hosts annual national conferences where people can attend workshops on topics such as medical issues, adaptive tools, and advocacy, as well as build friendships. “I met Steve at one of these conventions in California in the late ’90s. We stayed in touch, and one thing led to another,” Katie recalls fondly. Their bond grew from there. Although the marriage did not last long, they were able to turn their relationship into a business partnership that led to the creation of Hatch Family Chocolates.
Steve’s father, who had learned candy making from Steve’s grandmother, had a licensed kitchen in his house, where he made chocolates and sold them in local boutiques. Katie began working with him, learning how to make chocolates the old-fashioned way, by hand. “We still make our chocolates the traditional American way - hand-dipping each one instead of using an enrobing machine or making molded bonbons.” Katie worked with Steve’s father for a few years, absorbing all that she could, and soon, the idea of opening a shop took shape.
“Steve and I hemmed and hawed about whether we should open a dessert shop or a café,” Katie explains. In 2003, they decided to take the leap, opening a tiny storefront café with just three tables in the historic Avenue neighborhood of Salt Lake. The corner shop served handmade chocolates, ice cream, coffee, and hot chocolate, with occasional desserts on the menu. It quickly became a beloved spot in the neighborhood.
After eight successful years in that first location, Hatch Family Chocolates purchased and moved to a much larger space in 2011, still within the same Avenue neighborhood. The new location, originally a 1960s grocery store, boasts 9,000 square feet, with about 5,000 of it on the main level and the same amount of space in the basement. Katie and Steve renovated the building, creating 2,000 square feet for storage on the main floor and renting out other space to a restaurant and brewery. They took over the entire basement for their production, including a temperature-controlled room for making chocolates and separate areas for cooking candy, baked goods, and ice cream bases.
Today, the upstairs, features a long space with around ten or so tables for customers to enjoy their treats. Behind the walk-up counter, glass display cases showcase a colorful array of candies and confections, including caramel apples, chocolate-dipped pretzels, turtles, and dried fruits coated in chocolate. Their house-made ice cream is topped with their own hot fudge and caramel sauces, and customers can enjoy sundaes with a dark chocolate shell that hardens on the ice cream. Katie describes their style as a little different from other chocolatiers - hand-dipping gives their chocolates a thick, satisfying shell, creating a unique “snap” with every bite.
Living and working in Utah has revealed a unique cultural dynamic. “Our chocolates are special. There's beauty in what we do. There are so many different chocolate makers here, but I think sugar is a vice in Utah, especially since many people don’t drink. I’m not advocating either way, but sugar is definitely a Utah thing.”
Katie and Steve are known for their seasonal items and especially molded chocolates in fun shapes like French bulldogs or baby bottles for baby showers. “We make suckers in all sorts of themes: mustaches, pumpkins, you name it. The shop truly comes to life during the holidays, with caramel apples flying off the shelves in October, and the frenzy continuing into November and December with Christmas and Hanukkah treats. “The end of the year is our busiest - it’s a fun, festive time for us.”
Katie and Steve's journey has not been without challenges. At one point, the business was in pre-foreclosure, forcing them to sell their building. Yet, they persevered, adjusting to new spaces, new financial realities, and the ever-changing costs of running a business. Through it all, the Avenue neighborhood has supported them, and in turn, Katies describes her regular customers as extended family.
“Every day brings something new: challenges, surprises, and joys. But knowing that what we create brings happiness to people keeps us going.”
