Paying $2.50 for a bar of chocolate seems like it must be either king-sized, organic or hold some sort of special quality. Ton Stam realized this as he made his own brand of chocolate in his kitchen that Iowans would be willing to pay a little bit more for some luxurious treats.

Fast forward ten years and Chocolaterie Stam currently has seven locations in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Carolina. Stam operates his business the way his grandfather taught him. Each shop is uniquely outfitted by each owner in order to create a home out of each location.

“The only things required in each store are the golden arches and eggplant paint,” said Terry Stark, owner of the Ames location at 203 Main St. Its location opened in 2006 and was the first non-Stam family owned store.

Heart-shaped boxes adorn the maroon walls, held in place by magnets rather than tacks or tape.

The store has been busier in recent days with the approach of Valentine’s Day. Christmas and Easter are its other big selling seasons. Right now, a large, themed display of heart-shaped and pink-lipped chocolates are accentuating the regular selection behind the glass.

In addition to the chocolates and black licorice people are picking up for loved ones, Have A Heart Creations greeting cards are available — locally designed by ISU alumnae Jen Mally.

Stark filled his store with furniture and personal items from his family, thrift stores and church sales.

The chocolate is naturally and locally made in Des Moines without waxes or preservatives. The stores are kept at precisely 65 degrees to maintain the chocolate and gelato’s perfection. The stores must run two air conditioners in the summer.

Stark talked about the “Stam experience” and reffered to the customers as “clients.”

“We don’t allow our employees to say things like ‘yep’ or ‘no problem,’” Stark said.

Kadera Scanlon, Stam associate, greets everyone with a “Welcome,” rather than a “Hey,” as she fills up pre-packaged boxes of chocolates.

“If you just try to make sure you don’t put two milk chocolates next to each other and try to arrange it so it looks nice you usually get a pretty good mixture,” Scanlon said.

Some customers ordered custom wrapped chocolate bars for Valentine’s Day. Stam creates made-to-order molds and pieces with print on them. Stark displays a white chocolate piece with the U.S. Presidential Seal which Ton Stam sent to President Barack Obama, though he can’t confirm whether Obama received the candy or not.

“We’re finding we’re becoming a destination point where people bring all their friends and relatives,” Stark said.