Hi, I'm Jeff Rea, your host for Economic Outlook.

Welcome to our program.

We hope you enjoy this show.

Please make plans each week to join us as we discuss the region's most important economic development initiatives with a panel of experts.

Last year, we introduced you to a new tourist attraction on South Bend's West Side that U.S. 31 and U.S. 20, which is expected to be a major employer and will attract more than 100,000 annual visitors.

We're giving you an updated look at the construction of the new Indiana Dinosaur Museum, Chocolate Factory and Chocolate Museum, including updates on when you'll be able to visit.

Coming up on economic outlook.

Construction is underway on a new $20 million agritourism destination on South Bend's west side.

We're just weeks away from the opening of a 90 acre complex that will feature the new home of the South Bend Chocolate Factory, the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, restaurant, farmers market, public house, hiking trails, and many more things.

We're sitting down today with the owner of the South Bend Chocolate Company, Mark Tarner, for an update on the project's progress.

Welcome, Mark.

Thank you.

Mark.

Glad to have you back.

We had you here almost a year ago, and a year ago you were talking a little bit about this, this vision you had for the Indiana Dinosaur Museum chocolate factory, this 90 acre gem out by the airport.

And so we thought important to have you back.

And for a little bit of an update, and more importantly, we're going to send our field, team out to get an inside look at what's happening.

So, so, Mark, just by way of reminder for folks, tell us a little bit about what you're doing.

Well, on the West Side.

thank you Jeff.

you know, I was hunting for home from my factory, and I wanted something permanent.

And then now retail retails change.

Now, with Amazon, you have to be a destination.

the malls are kind of flat.

Suburban, developments flat.

So I came up with this idea for a destination location.

It's right across the airport.

The continental divide goes through it.

It's a park.

It's, an Industry tour.

We have a new public house out there.

It's rolling.

It's just a beautiful piece of property, and it's well located.

So, that was kind of the kernel of the idea, you know, the.

You know, I've been out in the Hummer, touring the property.

It's really a gem of a piece of property to talk about.

Historically, I think most.

What what was the.

I think it was Mount Pleasant and the interstate went through it, and it was an early German settlement.

I think it was older than South Bend, and it overlooked both the prairie and this famous great Kankakee Swamp.

And there are some Indians closer toward the lake.

You know, the chain of lakes are out there and they're just beautiful.

That's another gem.

But that old side of the county, I think is ready to explode.

Yeah.

It's having been out there recently for a sneak peek.

I'm really excited about what's going on.

And so, so help, help our, the folks listening and watching understand a little bit more about maybe what you've been up to since we were last together.

So.

So before, construction was just sort of beginning.

There's a lot to get to the finish line.

We're not quite there yet.

You know, we have.

Everybody says, was it hard to move your factory?

And I said, well, no, I that's the easy part of building a, you know, a 21,000 23,000 square foot dinosaur factory, the dinosaur Museum we're building, another public house.

It's 60 800ft², and I'm opening a new, venture called South Bend Farms, where we use local produce.

it's going to be an exciting new thing for me.

so there's a lot going on.

It's, it's we're basically on schedule.

The weather has not cooperated, including rain today.

So we, we're probably going to open with a little landscaping that's, you know, rougher than where we wanted it, but we're on schedule.

Yeah.

So, Mark, talk a little, you know, so I live out that direction.

I drive by there all the time.

Rarely am I by whether it's late at night, early in the morning, weekend where I don't see your truck out there, talk about sort of the effort required to kind of pull all these pieces together.

you know, I've always led from the front.

It was easier when I was 35. it's kind of hard at 62. but know I'm out there.

It's something I love to do.

I design the dinosaur museum.

I had a little help.

My staff is really excited.

you know, when you make candy, you're actually trying to.

People feel things when they eat.

So this is a product that I want my hand in.

So you, when you walk in, you feel something.

And you were there the other day.

Thank you for having the chamber there, for their meeting.

I mean, you feel like the space is large.

Yeah.

You know, and in the museum, we're doing a lot of unconventional things.

You know, we're in the age of, TikTok, and people have a different attention span, you know?

Right.

Yeah.

I mean, everything is on your iPhone, so everything I want, everything Instagrammable.

And Jeff, it's hard.

You have to have a kind of a, feel for it with your hands.

You know, you can design things.

And then I've changed quite a bit on the inside.

So I think it's going to be a success.

You know, the museum itself is a new product.

Yeah.

And an innovation.

And so really, a national attraction that's emerging here, you know, like you're expecting a few people to walk through your doors as you.

Well, we're we're hoping, you know, when I start, I exaggerate about everything.

Every good salesman does, you know, you travel across the country, it's always Americans first or America's biggest.

but I think this is going to be a national attraction for a number of reasons.

It's just proximity, the site, the combination of chocolate and dinosaurs.

At first, people didn't get that right, but everybody's fascinated by how the center gets.

And chocolate, you know, and everybody, of course, grows up with a love of dinosaurs.

So combining the tours, how are you going to not stop if you're a family of four, right.

Just once.

And if we get you once, you'll stop.

Exactly.

Yep.

Mark, you shared with us before a little bit this, love affair with dinosaurs.

Reminds us where that comes from?

Oh, well, it came from my oldest daughter.

She has interest.

but really, it came from within me.

I like to do hard things, and it was impossible to do.

And my daughter, at ten, said she wanted to dig up a dinosaur.

And then about an hour later, she said it was impossible.

Took 16 years to show her father what a determined, Hoosier can do.

So and it's become a love.

I love the ranchers.

I love the food.

I love the sky.

You know, I love the adventure.

Yeah.

So.

So talk a without sort of giving away all the secrets a little bit.

Talk to us a little bit about the dinosaur museum itself.

Kind of.

What would somebody, if you were trying to encourage them to come.

What will they expect you.

I want them to get a new perspective on life and what it is on this planet.

You know, there's a lot of talk that we're going through.

massive change.

And I think we are, and, and we I want people to feel small because we haven't been around that long, you know, in geologic time, I snap my fingers.

That's human existence.

I have a giant sequoia in there that's ten feet in diameter.

It's 3500 years old, and you can walk up to it.

And I want you to feel like, you know, humans have done great things.

We've been to the moon, you know, we can travel the speed of sound.

We've been to the lowest part of the ocean.

But sometimes there are things we don't see.

And I think maybe our actions are and, and and, actions, especially on the planet nature.

We need to get that in line.

I want to deliver that message, but in a positive kind of feeling kind of way.

Not saying it.

So many words.

Right.

And Mark in addition to sort of this been a great place to see the the science of this is happening there as well too.

So.

Right.

Yeah.

We another thing, you know, I was next to the hall of fame with my store downtown for years, and, it didn't have a lot to go see again.

So we're.

I found a dinosaur with skin on it, and we're going to, unveil that right in front of the public.

And it might take ten years, but you can actually you're actually going to be able to see dinosaur skin, and then things are hands on.

You know, all museums talk about hands on things.

Well, in my museum, I have 3000ft² of covered turf that you can go out and dig up and take your own fossil, take it home.

And I think it's I really do think that's the world's first.

It's called the we call it a, you dig, Fossil Cord.

That's going to be exciting.

I do think it's something that just from what I've seen out there, this hands on experience with families and kids and stuff that I think will be very attractive to folks, well, I hope so.

I feel, you know, the museum industry.

I think it's time for a change.

Most museums developed in the last part of the last century, so they have a little Victorian in them, you know, huge collections.

kids aren't interested in stamp collections anymore or coin collections or animals like the Field Museum.

They want to interact.

And I think there's a place between rubber dinosaurs that you see traveling around and real hardcore science, where a little bit of both.

And I think that's going to be the sweet spot.

So I I'm not familiar.

You did.

That's supposed to be the sweet spot that is supposed.

I'm a little slow on the uptake here.

That's my fault.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

So think about dinosaurs.

So and I mentioned, you know, national attraction here.

So where do people go now?

I mean, are there other places like this around The country?

Probably the best one is in Canada.

in Drumheller.

the Royal Tyrrell Museum is phenomenal.

but the field Museum has a great collection.

The Children's Museum has some fine specimens down in Indy, and then everybody has a little kind of a little bit of collections.

Dinosaurs are the number one reason out of the top ten museums in the world.

I think almost all of them have dinosaurs are parts, you know, the British Museum.

Yeah, all of them do.

So you've you've kind of seen what everybody else is doing and taking some input, sort of designed your own space.

And you know, I, I, I'm a visual learner.

So and I think most people are and I, I when I visited museums and the New York Natural History Museum, everybody squinting with their glasses on, I it's like a grocery store if you're going to be able to see it.

And I hope you remember actually remember dinosaur they're names of the dinosaurs.

Great.

We're going to take a quick break here in the studio.

We're going to actually go out to the, to, the Indiana Dinosaur Museum, the new chocolate factory, to give our viewers an inside look.

George Lepeniotis my host is out there.

George, let me toss it to you.

Thanks, Jeff.

I am, in fact, at the facility, and I am getting a tour by your guest and my guest, Mark Tarner.

You seem to be everywhere.

Oh, I'm here anyway with you.

Thank you for bringing us out here.

I know this has been a project of your.

I don't want to say your lifetime because you've done a lot in your lifetime, but this is really dominated your landscape for the past few years.

probably seven.

So as this thing comes together, tell us a little bit about what the experiences you want to create.

you know, I, I wasn't probably a very good student in science, and I wasn't.

And, when I started hunting for dinosaurs, just everything fell into place for me because it was very hands on.

It was very tangible.

Yeah.

This is a story is told in stone.

There's no other story.

Yeah.

And, you know, I'm a hands on guy, and and it's just been I want to share that with people.

You know, tangible is the right word for this museum.

Walk me through it.

Right?

I mean, the idea is we are standing in what you call the atrium.

This is a no cost experience, right?

Yeah, we call it the adventure atrium.

There are three dinosaurs in here, and there's it's, it's several sculptures and a Mayan temple behind us.

And then outside, you can walk out and, walk to the Continental Divide.

The property is, situated perfectly on the divide.

The idea is that people can stop here and learn, enjoy, eat, drink, kind of an entire experience.

Right.

And experience northern India.

And I when I first I was trying to find a home for myself and my factory and we decided to, build a one of a kind all season attraction.

And I think that's something something needs, you know, Notre Dame's great.

We have football that people are going to come here in the summer on their way to Traverse City.

They're going to come here from Chicago.

It's really our goal is to be the best small dinosaur museum in the world.

Yeah, well, we're going to make it.

You redefine the word small.

Yeah.

So as some of our community members, some of our viewers have watched this facility go up, it and you just walk me through.

I mean, you've got 3000ft² of dig experience.

You've got, how many square feet of exhibit space for large 20,000ft²?

Yeah, yeah.

And, I mean, this is a Spinosaurus behind us.

We'll say that, right?

It's one of the three in the world named Mark, you know, is as ugly as he is.

He's an vicious.

He's probably an attorney.

probably.

So, as we walk through the rest of the exhibits, do we think is the idea to keep it evolving?

Yeah, I think so.

And, you know, Julie and I, we live kind of modestly in the city, and we really, and a lot of people do things that it's right.

We we really want to leave a legacy.

And the chocolate company of chocolate, all companies have a shelf life.

Sure.

I think this will be here for a while, and it's real.

It's us.

You got the indoor experience on the dinosaur side that takes you through some exhibits.

You don't necessarily only talk about dinosaurs.

There'll be some live exhibits.

Yeah, there's some light exhibits.

And we, there's a movie that you see first kind of transforms too, from being in the 21st century to being in, 63 million.

You see.

Yeah, yeah.

You know, another thing too is, I didn't realize it.

The Earth is so old, it's almost infinite.

Yeah.

So evolution of these things just take place in perceptively.

Yeah.

And it's it's been a great learning experience for me.

It really has.

Yeah.

And I mean, as we listen to the sounds of the place, we see the bright colors.

It's going to be an experience for others.

Oh I think so too.

And you know, everybody, whether you're a parent or a educator, you want to share experiences.

And that's what this is all about.

And hopefully that'll help.

it'll be a catalyst for the area too.

Yeah.

For other developments.

Yeah.

Especially on the West side.

I mean, we were talking about how this is a large development on the west side of South Bend, but it's also really located in an area, that's accessible.

All right.

Yeah, yeah.

Close proximity, the toll road, close proximity to the bypass, the airport.

Yeah, yeah.

And it was a kind of a forgotten piece of land.

It was hilly.

It was a junkyard here and just took a little love and care and.

Yeah.

And that's what we did.

Okay, so we got the dinosaur Museum, which we saw.

We walked through the chocolate Museum.

Now, dinosaurs and chocolate.

You're going to have chocolate dinosaurs.

You promised.

I promise you that.

We will have chocolate.

Yes, we're going to happen.

And as they walk through the chocolate side, that too has its own unique history that many people don't know.

Yeah, I have, I have a large collection of chocolate posters that are from the turn of the last century.

I have a really neat pre-colombian collection of chocolate bases, and I have one base that says it's the chocolate part of the famous ballplayer.

So I have like, Michael Jordan's ceremonial cup.

It's very rare.

There are a couple of went as to Princeton has three and I have one here.

So it's going to be yeah I love history.

So and this journey, their experience, their visit will be culminated in seeing how chocolate is produced.

You're actually going to be moving production here.

Yep yep.

All of it.

And then finally they'll be able to get a bite to eat.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We have we have a chocolate cafe here that's on steroids.

And then we're going to build another public house, the South Bend public House, complete with a stage.

Our public house is in downtown Mishawaka and in downtown South Bend, Or just rocking it out.

And we're going to build another one here.

And in a very neat setting in the woods.

It's going to be an I think it'll be some of the nicest outdoor seating in the state.

Thank you Mark.

Thanks for the tour.

Thanks for the early tour.

And I know that the goal is to open here this spring.

Summer.

this summer.

Yeah, yeah, I'll let you get back to it.

Jeff, you have a great guest in the studio, and he's going to tell you more about how his vision became an amazing reality right here in South Bend.

George thank you.

Appreciate the inside.

Look, Mark, thanks for being a great host out there and giving us a little, sneak peek tour.

But let's talk a little bit, outside and then we'll get we'll move inside a little bit because we talked about this.

A phenomenal piece of property, largely undisturbed.

And you have quite a few different uses.

We touched on that a little bit.

But but help us understand some of the, the maybe the gathering spot that you're you will become and some of the things that people will be able to experience on the.

Well, you know, it's 90 acres and I want people to have if you have one moment in northern Indiana, I want you to be able to experience everything you can there.

So we've planted grape arbors and cherry trees and I'm I'm for the first time, I think I'm introducing buffalo into the city limits.

You know, at one point it was on our, city seal.

Yeah.

And Buffalo were, I think the French saw them here for the first time.

So you're going to get a tour, you're going to be able to go on wagons, and we have a great, agricultural past as well.

And I want to kind of show showcase everything.

I have an old Studebaker wagon that you're going to be in.

We'll see in this pole barn.

So if you have a little bit of time and, you know, I, I guess I love South Bend and want to want to share that love with other people.

And I think it's going to come through on the site.

Yeah, let's, let's shift a little bit.

So people obviously have always known you for the chocolate side.

And we'll talk about that in a second.

But but in recent years I think people have been excited about a couple of investments you've made here on public houses.

Oh yeah, public house, the Mishawaka public house, you've got a public house planned from for here.

Different though than the others, but I'm sure.

Well, you know, I actually I don't want to bring up the chickens because that's a sore subject.

Oh, yeah.

Well, I don't want to Howard Park chickens.

but, I have this vision where we really have farm fresh food, and I wanted to take the hamburger.

And if you've had it, it's phenomenal.

but we make the bun ourselves.

I want to grow my own tomatoes.

And, there's a sustainability side of it.

And that drives me.

But what drives me more is the quality.

And getting back.

There's nothing better than an Indiana tomato, right?

And I think in that.

So you get two, you get a two for you get sustainability and you get incredible product quality at a fairly low price.

So I'm I'm going to do that with the public house.

The public houses are just rocking.

my staff disagreed.

I thought meat would be in.

But, you know, it was out when we started this.

Now, it's all in again.

And I think there's room to, turn the, burger world upside down.

And that's what we're doing.

The buns upside down a few, right?

Yeah, exactly.

And it's in two phenomenal locations, one at Viewer Park, one at Howard Park.

In terms of right center of activity, this, though, offers a different and unique space.

I remember on our tour, even going outside and I talked to talk about sort of even that experience, somebody's going to be able to come sit outside.

Well, you know, I think we're all at heart nature lovers, you know, for if you take a walk in the woods, you feel, healthy and and good.

So why don't we dine there?

And the city, both South Bend and Mishawaka built these incredible parks.

and, by chance, and I think by design, because our concept fits in perfectly with those with those type of multi-use facilities.

It's not just a park anymore.

It's an event.

It's kind of what I'm doing on the West side on a different in a different way.

and we're building one out here.

I, I have a little pond, a little bog.

The is famous for bogs.

I'm going to plant blueberries around it.

You're going to dine in nature.

Everything's made out of reclaimed metal.

Yeah.

mostly from LaGrange.

I had the fortune to tear down a barn with some Amish men.

Great.

Good.

it really, it looks phenomenal.

And I'm anxious to go and sit outside and enjoy some of this.

Let's shift back to chocolate for a second.

So?

So, people who have known you for a while are familiar with your sample street location.

You're having a chance to move in and be part of a new state of the art production facility.

First, talk to us a little bit about this truck, a business, how that is this day, and talk about what a new facility means for you.

Well, first let me go to Sample Street.

You know, it's the old South Bend toy plant, and, John Fair and the holiday properties people on it.

They've been great landlords.

John is going to be surprised that I say that.

Okay.

No, he's a great man, it's on tape.

I know, and he's a neighbor.

And, you know, I'm bittersweet about leaving.

It's 103 years old.

the employees are happy and the FDA is happy.

But my lived half my life there, you know, but that I think we have a new home.

It's better.

It's cleaner.

we may lose a little nostalgia, you know, I, I watch a lot of movies.

Willy Wonka and George Bailey and Iron Man are my heroes, so I enjoyed being part of that revitalization.

Our workers are happy they're coming out.

I think we're going to have enough money for a daycare.

We're building a daycare out there.

So, those are good things.

The candy, the chocolate industry.

My dad was a candy maker, and I think, as you remember, we started with three Notre Dame products and we're still selling them and still doing great business with Notre Dame.

But our line's expanded.

We've had a lot of success nationally.

South Bend is an incredible brand.

You know, we should call everything South Bend.

And I know, as the former mayor of Mishawaka, I think you've been part of that, transition.

South bend is the brand.

and we've done very well.

our biggest customers are in California and Texas.

And so and that's going to continue to grow, I think.

And a is as we toured a chance to talk a little chocolate history as well too.

Right.

Yeah.

Another thing I think you're going to come for the dinosaurs.

But we built a three story, 3 or 4 story Mayan temple on the inside with fog and everything else coming out.

So it's going to be an experience.

you'll learn a little about, Mesoamerican culture, and it's fun.

I have I have a lot of collectibles, all the, chocolate posters from the 1900s, the 1800s.

And then I have some Mayan chocolate pots that are even older, as old as 650 A.D.. Good.

And will we be able to buy some of the things you're making?

The chocolate factory, while we're out there?

We actually are going to lock you in.

Get in there.

It's it's the only way to get back, you see.

Yes, exactly.

That's great.

So, Mark, as you're getting close to finish and we're hoping for an early, late fall or late spring early summer sometime as you're kind of working things out.

you started to introduce this to more people in the community.

You've had them out to tours.

What's the what's the reaction from folks who've been out there?

Well, you know, my reaction is, gratitude and humbleness.

Their reaction is, I think most people are overwhelmed because I think they and I question myself.

It points to, you know, it's almost been an epic story with Covid.

And we had funding.

We didn't have funding.

And, it's a big push and it's just my wife and me in the city of South Bend has partnered with us.

I think it's going to be change, a game changer, I really do.

I don't want to oversell it that you've been out there yourself.

I mean, what's your impression, boy?

It exceeded my expectations.

I you know, it's funny, you know, hearing hearing the vision initially and then seeing that come to reality.

And it's you found a phenomenal piece of property.

But but from the time you walk in, it's it's just very inviting.

And it feels like you've you've put a lot of your own personal touch on that.

And I think people connect really well with it and say, well, I painted that big lobby.

Oh yeah, you know, but you call it no, I didn't, I'm kidding.

but I but I tell you, and I, and I think any great city, any great company, the owner puts his fingerprints, they're all over it, whether you know it or not.

And in our industry, we're all family companies.

Force Mark senior's fingerprints are still over Mars, and it made them one of the greatest candy companies in the world.

And and and and I think our city we need industrialists that take a risk.

And this you know, this could go another way for me.

I don't think it will.

And I feel like I have the community behind me.

And the gratitude comes in because I don't think I ever felt valued.

You know, you're a businessman and you deliver a product, but I feel valued as a person and sort of my creative side and my risk taking side.

You know, people don't want to take a risk anymore.

And everybody's back me up, including, you know, the mayor.

James Muellers I don't know why he, you know, during the Covid, he doubled down on me as a man.

I've never seen that happen before.

And it was a Joe Kernan move Yeah.

Yeah, that's I think that, you know, it takes a lot of important partners.

He he's done a lot and so many different pieces.

I know you touched on several those.

So in our last about a minute and a half or so.

So words to other, entrepreneurs, people like you who have a vision, who are thinking about this area, who who want to be part of its future success.

what advice would you, would you give to them about, you know, kind of following a path, like, where's the camera staring away?

So don't do it.

No, no.

You know, I think that's in a lifetime adventure, but you really.

You hear this?

I if I hear it again, everybody says do what you love.

Yeah, well, you know, I think, I love work, and I love working toward a goal with others, and it's fulfilling, you know, whether you win or lose.

So I, I think we need more entrepreneurs.

The young kids are certainly lining up to do it.

Most of it, most of them are going to fail and just learn.

Get back on your feet and do it again.

Right?

Okay, Mark.

Final note.

So, so again to remind you, where's the property?

This thing somebody doesn't remember it.

It's out by the airport by the catty corner.

Really?

From the airport.

Yeah.

Just 2020.

Just right on the bypass.

You can't miss it.

Yep.

And there's a sign out there counting down, drawing people's attention.

Right.

And I'm for opening.

I'm going to throw nails out so everybody's cars I don't know, they just have to stop.

Perfect.

Sounds good.

He's Mark Tarner.

He's the president and CEO over at the South and Chocolate Company.

Mark, thanks so much for sharing more and letting us get an inside look and sharing that with our viewers today.

So that's it for our show today.

On behalf of the entire team here at PBS Michiana.

WNIT, thank you for watching or listening to our podcast.

To watch this episode again or any of our past episodes, you can find economic outlook at wnit.org or find our podcast on most major podcast platforms.

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I'm Jeff Rea, I'll see you next time.

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Thank you.