Valentines continued from page 9 end of March, beginning of April,” Mayo recalls. “All of a sudden, people started to feel something.” Loneliness. As singles assessed what life was going to look like over the next months, devoid of outlets for meeting people, they began calling exes and exploring other ways to make connections. They needed to build their “pod,” Mayo says. “Singles started to get serious about dating.” Casual dating was something that serious singles could no longer afford, not if they wanted to avoid health risks. In all her years in the business, Mayo had never seen anything create a more po- larized dating scene than looking for love in the time of COVID. The virus had a way of dividing singles into very specifi c categories. Where before the pandemic it was understood that top- ics like politics might be tabled until after the fi rst or second meetup, now there was no sense in wasting time. If you believed COVID was real, you needed to insist on a Zoom call and be assured that your prospective date would show up with a mask and a respect for social distancing. No longer would promising matches be subsequently torpedoed by political or scientific disagree- ments. People stated COVID-inspired standards from the start. One hopeful member used the required bio essay to clearly state “NO MAGA HATS!” and “I BELIEVE IN SCIENCE!” Masks were another make-or- break issue for potential matches. Mayo says that the number of people who demand their mates wear masks just about balances those who don’t want to quarantine after returning from weekly business trips. (After all, if you’re paying over fi ve fi gures for a dating site, you gotta keep making that skrilla!) nobody wants to start a fresh relationship with a lie or two (no matter how small). This applies to the end of the date, as well: If you’re not interested in seeing someone again, let them know politely and wish them the best on their dating journey. 2. Be interested/interesting: A conver- sation should be a back-and-forth exercise between two people, not one person talking at the other. Be a good listener; ask great questions. 3. Be on time: Show respect for the other person by arriving to the date on time, whether it’s online or in person. 4. Dress to impress: First impressions count. Whether you’re meeting at a restau- rant, going for a walk or meeting over Zoom, you want to look like you’ve put effort into Ready for Takeoff A MARINE PILOT IS FLYING HIGH WITH LIFT CHOCOLATE. Brandon Busch’s previous career inspired the name for Lift Chocolate, a Boulder- based chocolatier. Busch, a Colorado native, was a Marine helicopter pilot who served two tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2004 and 2013. In the midst of such chaotic, often hostile environments, Busch sought out sweetness. “During our downtime, I read every culinary Mountain region, as well as all Pharmaca stores, select Nordstrom Ebars and many independents. “We specialize in chocolates that most people don’t want to, or can’t, make,” says Busch. “We do all the specialty molds for the holidays —Valentine’s Day, Eas- ter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. Gosh, our winter penguins have been on Food Network. It’s all the really festive and celebratory items.” But Lift isn’t all just chocolate penguins and teddy bears. Pre-pandemic, nearly a third of the company’s business was in-room product for the hotel and hospitality market. “Our chocolates are at the St Julien, the ART hotel and many more,” Busch notes. “Obviously, that’s changed drastically this past year.” In fact, he lost between 40 and 45 percent of his business with the hos- pitality pull-back because of COVID. So Busch changed course, re- vamping the online sales efforts that had been unprofitable until May 2020 and shifting the business model. “Online, we really focus on the European infl uence of our product. We source Italian Amarena cher- ries for our cherry cordials, candied oranges from Switzerland for our dipped orange slices, etc.,” he says. In addition to those fruity choc- olates, Busch’s unique Splitz bars — boasting two separate chocolate layers — and his English Butter Toffee are Lift’s bestsellers. And he keeps trying new things, often with a local fl avor. “Our fi rst go-round on a collab- oration with Finkel & Garf Brewing to create a beer ganache for a truffl e was probably our biggest challenge to date,” he notes, “and it took many attempts before we concocted the correct recipe.” But while he’s tried beer as an Lift Chocolate is a sweet gift. The best advice she can give: Be honest. When a single enrolls in the “elite” class, Mayo or one of her associates meets with that new member for a personal interview — on Zoom these days — and then determines possible matches and locations for a meet. She recalls one meetup arranged in front of the Denver Fire Department station in the northeast corner of Washington Park. “He asked if he could remove his mask,” Mayo says her client related. “Poor thing said it was okay, but inside she was uncomfortable.” While that prospective pairing wasn’t a match, Mayo stays positive. She’s had about three to four successful relationships birthed out of the pandemic, and even attended a COVID wedding of a client. “It’s been a great new way of helping people navigate the dating scene,” she says. “Knock on wood, I haven’t had anyone who has gotten or given the virus to each other.” Annie Mills Mayo: Ten Tips for Dating During (and After) a Pandemic 1. Be authentic and honest: This should 10 be obvious, but if you hit it off on that fi rst date, the truth will eventually come out, and your end of things. 5. Don’t talk politics: Keep it light. The fi rst date is to learn about the person you’re spending time with, to discover their inter- ests and passions. You’ll have plenty of time to talk about politics down the line. 6. Ditch your “type”: If you’re single and dating, your type has yet to serve you well. Be open to the possibilities. 7. Dating is a numbers game: You meet people to see what you like and what you’re trying to avoid. The more people you meet, the more chances you have at meeting “the one.” 8. Respect boundaries: If you’re not com- fortable meeting in person right away, meet by video. If you aren’t comfortable taking off your mask for a walk, say so. If you’re uncomfortable it will show, and you can’t be your best self. 9. Laugh: Nobody wants to be on a bor- ing date, and laughter is the easiest way to win someone over. 10. Keep the past in the past: Don’t bring up your exes or past relationships. Focus on the present and the person you’re with in the moment. — EVAN SEMÓN textbook I could get my hands on from cover to cover,” Busch recalls. “I realized you could educate yourself on cooking, but you couldn’t teach yourself pastry skills — things like sugar work, laminated doughs and chocolate.” After active service, Busch returned to Colorado and immediately started pastry school at Johnson & Wales. “I tried to work with chocolate a few times before school, but never successfully,” he says. “I was the worst at making chocolate, but I became obsessed because I felt like I should be able to do it. I eventually got better.” A lot better. “I have always loved choco- late, but never thought of it as a career until after school,” Busch says. In May 2017, two years after graduation and a lot of research and strategic planning, he took over Con- certos in Chocolate, a Boulder business, and promptly rebranded the company, expand- ing its market and adding new products. Nearly four years later, Lift Chocolate has between seven and eighteen employees, depending on the season. Busch’s signature delicacies — about half of the recipes are his — are in 35 Whole Foods stores in the Rocky ingredient, he’s drawn the line at marijuana…so far. “Yes, we’ve been approached to make a CBD chocolate and other renditions, but have not done so,” says Busch, adding that he’s also refused other requests. “People want a sugar-free or sugar-substitute choco- late. I have to explain, ‘I’m a chocolatier; I make creations from the chocolate I source.’ The chocolate-maker decides the ingredi- ents in his or her own recipe.” He’s not afraid to play with recipes, or to discard those that no longer work. “We had a chocolate called Afterburn,” he remembers. “It included a chipotle powder in a chile- pepper mold. That fad is gone. Right now, it’s color. Our contrast and playful nature with the chocolate we source is certainly eye-popping.” Busch’s transition from a Marine to a modern-day chocolate-maker is a sweet story — not surprising, given his birthplace: the Sweetheart Capital. “I was born and raised in Loveland, and still have many close connections to the city,” he says. But he also keeps his ties to the military. “I’m still in the Marine Reserves,” he adds. “I have sent chocolate to friends in Afghani- stan, and I donate regularly to the Taya and Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, which supports military and fi rst-responder marriages. I have a real affi nity for that organization, as I have seen fi rsthand continued on page 12 FEBRUARY 11-17, 2021 WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | westword.com CHAD CHISHOLM
