Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Company Inc. Announces ItsRetail Rollout Closely Following the...

HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 1999--

James Walsh, Chairman and CEO of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Company (OTC BB:HWVI) kicked off their national rollout and consumer educational program today with the announcement of an agreement with Hobson Marketing Company, Inc., one of the nation's

The agreement calls for initial development of the Mid-west market with more than thirty-six (36) new dedicated Hawaiian Vintage retail locations within the next six to eight months.

With five locations opening in July in St. Louis and an additional thirty-one (31) scheduled to open in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia and Washington States during the next twelve (12) months, HVC is modeling its chocolate growth on the formula proven successful with coffee by Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX). Walsh states, "By opening dedicated retail locations in top quality malls with high consumer traffic, Hawaiian Vintage can begin to lead the consumer in their own backyards in the movement toward Varietal/Vintage chocolate. As the leader in varietal chocolate HVC has been called by the New York Times "the best chocolate in the world" and now we will have a chance to show America the reason why."

In addition to it's mall sites, Hobson Marketing has initiated it's own direct sales campaign via catalog mailings and a web site opening later this year. Doug Dawson, CEO of Hobson Marketing states, "We are pleased that Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate chose us over many others to showcase their products to America's high-end consumers. As the world's premier grower and producer of chocolate they wanted a company that could retail their product in keeping with their commitment to quality. We see this as a very significant part of our growth as a company over the next several years."

These retail activities will compliment and increase the traffic to Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate award winning Web Site (www.hwvi.com). Tony Roth, EVP of Hawaiian Vintage states, "The significant sales growth experienced in 1999 will be the result of our multi-channel sales campaigns. We are approaching retail with a simple goal, to educate America about the quality of our proprietary cocoa beans grown in America and why Hawaiian Vintage is "The Best Chocolate in the World". Of course it doesn't hurt to have a pedigree that includes a strong following of famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Stephan Pyles, and celebrities such as Bill Gates, or that the Dali Lama's first taste of chocolate was Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate."

Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii with plantations on several Hawaiian Islands. They produce the only chocolate grown in America and are the worldwide leading producer of Vintage/Varietal chocolate. In regards to the penetration of additional channels of distribution, Jim Walsh, CEO, states, "We are preparing our distribution channels for significant growth during the next eighteen to twenty-four months to compliment our exciting new product entries."