Karen Flavelle, chair of Purdys and her son Scott McTavish, managing director, are the second and third generation of the Vancouver-based chocolatier founded in 1907.Supplied
Vancouver-based Purdys Chocolatier isn’t just a place to satisfy your sweet tooth; it’s a testament to the enduring power of family, tradition and a shared love for quality.
Founded in 1907, Purdys began as the dream of Richard Purdy, who developed a loyal customer base through his dedication to quality products.
However, financial instability led to bankruptcy in 1925 and the company was taken over by Hugh Forrester, an accountant who steered it through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1963, the business was purchased by Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson. It had only four stores and a modest factory in Vancouver.
“My father and his partner each put in $10,000, but the bank still didn’t believe in the business,” says Karen Flavelle, Charles’ daughter and now chair of Purdys, describing the humble beginnings of her family’s ownership.
Ms. Flavelle says her grandfather guaranteed the loan, which represented 75 per cent of his retirement income. That calculated risk laid the foundation for one of Canada’s most recognizable chocolate brands, now boasting over 90 stores, a thriving e-commerce division and a robust fundraising program that supports community organizations across the country.
Pouring a batch of peanut brittle, in the 1970s.Supplied
A worker pours chocolate into a Charles Bunny mould, in the 1970s.Supplied
Yet despite growing up with chocolate in the background, Ms. Flavelle says her father actively discouraged his children from entering the business.
“The message around the dinner table was: ‘I don’t want to parachute offspring over long-term employees,’” she recalls.
Instead, she pursued a career in consumer-packaged goods before eventually making her case to join the family business.
“I said, ‘Here’s what I’ve done, here’s why I think I’d be good at this.’ It wasn’t handed to me. I knocked on the door,” she says.
Ms. Flavelle’s tenure saw significant expansion and modernization but she has always remained mindful of her place in the broader company narrative.
“When I came to Purdys, I would talk about standing on the shoulders of those who came before me,” she says.
Today, she’s grooming her son Scott McTavish as the third generation to manage the family business.
Purdys' initial shop, in the late 1960s.Supplied
Mr. McTavish, Purdys’ managing director, originally trained in geological engineering and worked in consulting before transitioning into the business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Karen was back in the driver’s seat operationally and there was so much going on,” he says. “I started helping out – understanding leases, working with financials – and suddenly I was working seven days a week.”
What began as supporting his mom quickly became a passion.
“I’ve always loved food and sweets and I never skip dessert. As I got deeper into the business, I found I really liked it,” Mr. McTavish says.
Purdys' factory headquarters in Vancouver today.Supplied
He rotated through roles in IT, digital and fulfilment, gaining hands-on experience before formally stepping into the managing director position last year.
Unlike many family businesses where leadership transitions are informal or based on inheritance, Purdys takes a more structured approach.
“We developed a formal succession plan, a scorecard with clear criteria,” Mr. McTavish explains. “It gave me comfort to know there was a path and it wasn’t just arbitrary.”
Ms. Flavelle agrees, saying decisions about the future should be made by those leading the way.
“Scott and the executive team are better placed to do that,” she says. “They understand tech, HR, the current environment better than I do.”
Francesco Barbera, director of the Family Business Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, emphasizes the importance of structured governance (policies and procedures that provide accountability and oversight) in managing succession processes.
“No two successions are the same even within the same business, but what you would expect is that as a family goes through these things a few times they tend to get better and better at managing it,” he says.
Prof. Barbera highlights that succession is a process, not a single event, involving the transfer of ownership, wealth, knowledge and authority.
At the heart of Purdys’ enduring success is a shared commitment to values crystallized in the company’s “Purdys Principles,” a document that codifies beliefs and branding choices such as “we own the colour purple” and “we don’t discount” (meaning its products don’t go on sale). These guidelines provide continuity and clarity during times of change.
“It’s not just operational,” Ms. Flavelle says. “It gave me comfort knowing that everyone understood what matters most.”
While many family businesses falter at the point of succession, Mr. McTavish says Purdys’ story offers a road map: clear communication, respect for employees, structured planning, and a focus on purpose.
“We’ve always had open conversations,” he says. “When things go wrong, we talk it through. That’s how we get to the best answers.”
Robert Nason, an associate professor at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, says family dynamics can significantly influence business outcomes.
He says effective communication is paramount to navigating the ebbs and flows of what he describes as the “interdependent systems of family and business.”
“The key to being able to manage it is to be aware of it,” he adds.
As Purdys evolves and expands with the next generation, it remains grounded in its values and a belief in the power of chocolate to connect people across the generations, including its own.
“My father was the right person for a small company, I was the right person at medium size, and Scott is the right person now. What are the chances of that within a single family?” Ms. Flavelle says. “We’re so lucky.”