Apple Tree Chocolate, a chocolate and confections shop on Campus Corner, is moving to a new location on Main Street in June.
Apple Tree Chocolate, owned and operated by OU alumnus Scotty Jackson and his family, opened on Campus Corner in 2014. Since then, the business has continued to expand, recently opening a new location in Oklahoma City.
Jackson said the move was inspired by a need for more space and accessibility.
“We found this location on Main, and the landlords there had a vision,” Jackson said. “They have a vision for all of Main Street, and that’s what we wanted.”
Jackson and his family have been preparing the new location for a couple weeks, he said. Next week, they will begin painting. The store is currently on track to open mid-June, Jackson said.
“It’s a tight timeline, but we haven’t run into a lot of problems yet,” Jackson said. “Even when we do, that’s the thing about business. The problems don’t stop — you just get better at solving them.”
The new location will be at 209 East Main Street, located between Michelangelo's and Bison Witches at what was previously The Social Club, Jackson said. It will be roughly a mile from the Campus Corner location.
“Our demographic is going to change, we know that,” Jackson said. “But it’s not too far, and I know we’ll get more business from families and young professionals. There will definitely be less foot traffic, though, but we’ve seen that over the last year already.”
This time last year, Apple Tree Chocolate closed its doors and only allowed curbside pickup, Jackson said. The pandemic hit the business hard, and Jackson worked to apply for as many assistance programs as he could.
“It was nerve-wracking … losing that much revenue at the drop of a hat,” Jackson said. “People were scared, and so were we.”
Apple Tree Chocolate is currently located at 754 Asp Ave. Located on Campus Corner for seven years, the business won the Norman 33rd Annual Chocolate Festival in its first year.
“We really loved our time on Campus Corner,” Jackson said. “If our model fit better, I’d stay there forever.”
Note: This story was updated at 1:01 p.m. May 11 to clarify the new location of Apple Tree Chocolate.
