Black bear enters Empire chocolate shop, devours bag of sugar
A screenshot of a surveillance video showing the black bear, just before it opened the back door to Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate on April 16.
From staff reports
The following is not an April Fool’s Day story.
After opening the door, the bear grabbed and devoured a 50-pound bag of sugar.
A black bear has visited Grocer’s Daughter Chocolate in Empire on five consecutive evenings this week, rummaged through a dumpster and spreading garbage around the village, and pulling open the back door and devouring a 50-pound bag of sugar.
On Tuesday night, April 16, around 10:30 pm, the bear entered the beloved chocolate shop for no more than 20 seconds, stole the sugar and returned to the sidewalk to eat it. It touched nothing else in the shop, not even the small, chocolate bears on display by the checkout counter.
“He could have ravaged the chocolate shop, he could have gotten five gallons of honey, but he didn’t. He only got the bulk bag of sugar,” said Grocer’s Daughter co-owner Jody Hayden. The gender of the bear is currently unknown.
Grocer’s Daughter staff, who have caught the intruder’s activities on video, bolted the door shut on Wednesday, April 17. The bear returned that evening and was unable to open the back door. Instead, it licked the pavement where it had consumed the sugar the night before.
“We’re mostly having fun with this,” said Hayden. “The bear is coming out of hibernation, and it’s hungry. Maybe it’s looking for chocolate!”
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologist Steve Griffith said that two traps have been set within the village of Empire to catch the bear. Once caught, the bear will be set free in a rural location more than 60 miles from Empire. Until the bear is caught, Griffith advised Empire residents not to feed the bear and not to leave bird feeders containing birdseed outside at night.
Griffith added that it’s fortunate the bear didn’t consume a large amount of chocolate inside the store, as chocolate is toxic for bears, as it is for dogs.
“We live in an area which is also home to bears. We need to coexist with them,” said Hayden. “We have no ill will toward this bear. We hope he stays happy and healthy. We want to make sure he stays safe, and that our employees and community stay safe.”
Hayden laughed as she speculated that the bear knows Grocer’s Daughter sells chocolate bear cubs inside the store. She also wondered whether they should tell Cherry Republic, which operates a warehouse on the outskirts of Empire, that its iconic bear mascot is on the loose.
Visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to view videos of the bear opening the door to the chocolate shop on April 16, and trying to do so on April 17.
