SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) – Mark Tarner has made a living pursuing his passions, and now, he’s bringing them together under one roof by opening a new chocolate factory and the dinosaur museum, but this business venture is more accurately described as a one-stop shop for all ages.
While the cornerstones of this project are certainly the new South Bend Chocolate Factory and Indiana Dinosaur Museum, it’s hard to describe an undertaking of this magnitude because it is so much more than Fossils and Fudge.
“So when you come into our museum, you’re going to see ancient turtles that are 300 million years old, but you’ll going to be able to hold a tortoise and hold 300 million years of evolution in your hands,” said Mark Tarner, owner of the South Bend Chocolate Company.
Aside from the factory and museum, there will be a public house, farmers market, hiking trails, tubing in the winter, a buffalo enclosure, and a lookout point with a great view of the Golden Dome.
“I want to create a year-round, one-of-a-kind attraction, and certainly, hiking and sustainability are a part of that,” said Tarner. “70 percent of the land we’re using will either be re-wild or in trails or agriculture.”
Over the last couple of months, they have been erecting the shell of the factory and working on getting the South Bend Public House and Farmers Market ready for later this fall. The plan is to complete the factory and museum by late 2023, but the goal is to make South Bend a household name for all who visit.
“It is very unique, and it’s complicated to explain sometimes because there are so many things that could happen with the site,” said Jeff Rea, President/CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously, the main building will be the catalyst to get the rest of it going, and I think you’ll see the site evolve over the next few years as they are able to continue to add different elements.”
Mark Tarner wanted to express his gratitude to Mayor James Mueller and the Economic Development Department for believing in his vision.
One of the displays at the museum will be one of the unique dinosaurs he discovered and named while on a fossil dig, which he named after his wife.
“Over the years, I’ve branded South Bend through the South Bend Chocolate Company, and whether you’re in California or New York, you see our brand, and I’m going to expand that through the South Bend Public House. We have a great restaurant at Howard Park, and South Bend Farms is going to be another extension of that. South Bend is the brand for our region, and I think that’s how we sell ourselves, and we’re proud of it, and I am; the sky is the limit.”
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