A descendant of the founder of the Fry's chocolate empire wants a Museum of Chocolate to be built on the site of a Cadbury's factory near Bristol.
Mr Fry now runs hotel businesses
The plant, at Keynsham, is scheduled to close by 2010.
Cosmo Fry's grandfather, Cecil, was the last Fry to run the factory before it was taken over by Cadbury's in 1936.
"I would like to think that I could propose an alternative future in which the memory of Fry's and Cadbury's can live on in the West Country," he said.
Mr Fry, who now owns a chain of hotels, has offered his personal collection of Fry's memorabilia to put on display as the centre piece of the museum.
"It is extensive and of significant market value," he added.
Cadbury's said it would consider the idea.
The firm, which would become known as Fry's, was founded in 1728 in Bristol.
By the late 19th Century it had grown to employ some 4,500 people.
In 1921, all of Fry's business was transferred to the Keynsham site, before the company became part of Cadbury's in 1936.
Terry Keefe of the Unite union told BBC News Online: "While we'd like to see the building preserved, our prime concern is for the 70 jobs. We'd prefer to see it kept as a chocolate factory."
Mr Fry's proposals are explored on Inside Out West on BBC One, Wednesday 10 October at 1930 BST.