San Francisco

A few years after opening Ethel M Chocolates, Forrest Mars became very impatient with the rate we were establishing a retail market. He decided to come with me to San Francisco to look at potential retail locations over a weekend. In order to placate my wife, he also flew her to San Francisco to shop while we were working and to let her enjoy Union Square. He gave her some cash and told her to buy any chocolates she found.

We stayed at the St. Francis Hotel. Days were spent with a commercial realtor scouting potential sites while Janet shopped. We also bought chocolates at many places we looked. At night, we were treated to a gourmet dinner at the hotel.

The next day waiting for our flight back to Las Vegas waiting at the San Francisco airport, he had us take out all of the many samples of chocolate that we had all collected. He proceeded to take a small bite out of each and hand to us both the bitten piece for us to do the same. Neither of us was enthused about this process. Janet was a bit freaked, but ended up a good sport, bit the bullet and went along. I will never forget the baffled look on her face during this little episode.

We had never seen such intense dedication to a business goal as what he showed us that day.