Crews are working around the clock at Toffee to Go in South Tampa.
The holidays might be right around the corner but that is not the reason kettles are full of boiling butter and sugar all day and night. If you want to point a finger you will have to find the queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey.
"Literally from 11 years ago when we started the company I told my husband, I'm going to be on Oprah's Favorite Things,” said Lisa Schalk as she rang up orders Thursday afternoon. “That's my goal. That's my dream.”
It was a dream that came true when one of Oprah’s scouts tasted Schalk’s decadent toffee at a trade show in Atlanta earlier this year.
"So many people listen to Oprah,” said Schalk. “We've done more today in sales than we typically do in a month!"
Workers break up the toffee into large pieces that are weighed, packaged, and boxed up for shipping.
The milk chocolate toffee recipe was passed down to Shalk and her husband by her mother-in-law.
They still use the same recipe made in small batches the old-fashioned way.
The couple believes it is the only way to get the reaction that keeps them going.
"My whole thing about the business is the gush factor. I live for that. The gush factor is when people taste our toffee and their eyes roll back and their eyes roll back and oh my gosh this is the best toffee I've ever had. That's what excites me,” she said.
It is that gush factor that even has Oprah saying yum!
Toffee to Go is located at 3251 W. Bay to Bay Blvd in Tampa, Florida. They can be reached at (813) 831-6247 or at toffeetogo.com.