Lava Bar Sweeps Candy Awards at the 2006 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show

The Lava Bar is the World's First Molten Chocolate Candy Bar. It swept the candy category awards at the NACS Show, winning both the Convenience Store News BEST New Product Award for 2006 and the Teen People® Trendspotters Grand Prize for the Best Overall Candy Product.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) October 23, 2006 -- Lava Chocolate, LLC's one-of-a-kind molten chocolate Lava Bar burst onto the scene at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show to sweep the candy category awards. The Lava Bar won both the Convenience Store News BEST New Product Award for 2006 and the Teen People® Trendspotters Grand Prize for the Best Overall Candy Product.

The Lava Bar literally wowed the judges to win the Convenience Store News Best New Product Award for 2006 in the "Confectionary" category. The Lava Bar is the World's First Molten Chocolate Candy Bar. A panel of 10 business-to-business editors from Convenience Store News and several sister publications judged the entries. Scoring was based on product innovation, packaging, fit to the convenience store market, consumer need, and flavor. The Lava Bar was the hands-down winner, beating all of the other confectionary products.

To complete the sweep, the Lava Bar also won the highly coveted grand prize "Hot Pick" from the Teen People Trendspotters as the best overall candy product at the NACS Show. Teen People Trendspotters are considered the voice and face of TeenPeople.com, representing a community of more than 14,000 teens and young adults across the country. Six Trendspotters between the ages of 18 and 24 hit the NACS Show floor to choose their favorite and hottest new product pick in the candy and snack categories. Products were judged based on packaging, taste and overall appeal. Each participant selected three products to present during a panel discussion, and then the group as a whole selected grand prize winners. All of the Trendspotters evaluating candy listed the Lava Bar as the clear winner for overall appeal. Then, in awarding the grand prize to the Lava Bar, the Trendspotters panel unanimously raved about the Lava Bar's taste, packaging, portability, versatility and the overall "coolness" of the product.

"We are absolutely thrilled about sweeping the candy category awards at the NACS Show," said Kenneth J. Berke, Lava Chocolate's president and chief executive officer. "When introducing a new, never-seen-before product, one must first prove the concept at hand. By winning both the Trendspotters grand prize and the Convenience Store News best new product award, we've proven that consumers young and old are ready and eager to buy a multi-use, molten chocolate candy bar," continued Berke. The Trendspotters panel was particularly impressed by the Lava Bar's versatility. "The Lava Bar tastes great over ice cream or fresh fruit or in milkshakes, hot chocolate or coffee," Berke added.

The most common questions asked by retailers visiting the Lava Bar booth at the NACS Show were, "Where can I get this? Does McClane or Core-Mark carry the Lava Bar? Does H.T. Hackney carry this? How about Eby-Brown?" While the Lava Bar can be purchased by retailers directly from the company or online at www.lava-bar.com, Berke is encouraging retailers interested in the Lava Bar to contact their local distributors and ask them to carry the Lava Bar. "Our success at the NACS Show has helped us establish relationships with a number of brokers and distributors around the country, and we're getting more every day. We expect widespread distribution of the Lava Bar across the U.S. and Canada in the next few months. The Lava Bar also will be available in hotel room mini bars soon," Berke said.

News of the Lava Bar phenomena is spreading quickly. "We have a product that is not only delicious, but has been engineered to do what other candy bars can't. Specifically, the Lava Bar is impervious to heat. While most candy bars are ruined by hot weather, the Lava Bar tastes even better when warmed by the sun," Berke explained. And, Lava Bars don't freeze either. So, they are perfect for taking hiking, camping and fishing in warm climates and for taking skiing when the weather gets cold, Berke added.

About Lava Chocolate: Based in Calabasas, California, Lava Chocolate, LLC produces the world's first liquid chocolate candy bars, which are sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, camping/sporting-goods stores and specialty gourmet food stores across the country.

Media Contact:
Paul Spindler
Paul Spindler Company
1901 Avenue of the Stars Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90067
www.spindlercompany.com
Ph: 310-286-0102; Fax: 310-461-1347

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