choc therapy

In partnership with

mornin’ merry makers 🫀🍫🪽💅🎟️

i come from a long line of chocoholics.

in fact, my first academic achievement wasn't spelling or math — it was winning a science fair prize for a project all about chocolate. (yes, i was that kid who turned her sweet tooth into extra credit 😋).

one thing i still remember: cacao ≠ cocoa

so with valentine's day around the corner & my lifelong chocolate obsession in full swing, i couldn't resist diving into the deliciously fascinating world of chocolate retail.

why, you ask?

in a world where we can buy pretty much anything on amazon & most of us already have too much stuff, chocolate remains this perfect little luxury that keeps drawing us back to stores for special moments.

→ you can't match the experience of watching a chocolatier hand-paint bonbons

→ you can’t catch the intoxicating aroma of fresh-roasted cacao through tiktok

→ you can’t taste that life-changing free sample through your phone screen

so with that let’s get into today’s choc shop therapy…

🍫 crazy choco-data

let these numbers melt in your mind:

• us chocolate market is valued at $50B+ with americans spending an average of $157 per year on chocolate

• i was surprised to learn that valentine's day is the 4th biggest chocolate sales day (after the winter holidays, halloween, & easter)

• us leads in chocolate sales, but switzerland leads in per capita consumption

• africa produces ~70% of the world's cocoa, primarily ivory coast & ghana.

• milk chocolate is still the fan favorite (i deeply disagree as i’m team dark chocolate for life)

• hazelnut is the most popular added flavor, followed by almond & caramel

• godiva closed their 100+ us locations in 2021, but kept stores open in other countries (guess chocolate covered strawberries sell better abroad?)

now time for our sweetest store scroll yet in order of us store shop count (bc i sadly havent gotten the chance to personally try them all yet!).

#1. see's candies

founded by a son in honor of his mother, mary see, (who’s picture is still on the packaging today!), this west coast institution became a chocolate empire thanks to three things: old-fashioned quality, those famous free samples, & warren buffett's seal of approval when berkshire hathaway acquired them in 1972.

📍 founding: 1921, los angeles, ca

🏪 store count: 280 (in us)

🍫 fan favorites:

• toffee-ettes®

• milk bordeaux™ candies

• almond royals®

#2. läderach

this swiss chocolatier, founded by rudolf läderach, made waves in the u.s. after acquiring 34 of godiva's mall locations, bringing its signature fresh, hand-sliced chocolate slabs (frischschoggi™) to american shoppers.

📍 founding: 1962, glarus, switzerland

🏪 store count: 46 (in us)

🍫 fan favorites:

• frischschoggi™ (swiss bark by a better name!)

• pralines

• truffles

#3. royce' chocolate

hailing from sapporo, royce' is revered for its nama chocolate, an impossibly smooth, fresh-cream ganache that melts in your mouth, turning it into japan's most famous chocolate export. my mind was blown when i first tried this chocolate when i lived in singapore. so excited to see them opening more spots in the us!

📍 founding: 1983, sapporo, japan

🏪 store count: 23 (in us)

🍫 fan favorites:

• nama chocolate

• potatochip chocolate

• matcha baton cookies

#4. ghirardelli

one of america's oldest chocolatiers, ghirardelli built its legacy by perfecting bean-to-bar processing, turning san francisco's waterfront into a chocolate lover's paradise and making its signature chocolate squares a household name. their free samples in fisherman’s wharf were my favorite marathon training snacks :)

📍 founding: 1852, san francisco, ca

🏪 store count: 18 (ca, ny, nv, il, fl, ky)

🍫 fan favorites:

• chocolate caramel squares

• hot fudge sundae

• intense dark chocolate bars

#5. teuscher

this luxury chocolatier flies their fresh chocolate in from switzerland each week. best known for its champagne truffles which are made with dom pérignon & have earned global acclaim for their indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

📍 founding: 1932, zürich, switzerland

🏪 store count: 9 (ny, ca, il, ma, pa)

🍫 fan favorites:

• champagne truffles

• gianduja (aka nutella’s grandmother)

• marzipan treats

#6. dandelion chocolate

this bean-to-bar maker pioneered the craft chocolate movement, using just two ingredients—cocoa beans and sugar—to create complex, single-origin bars that highlight the uniqueness of each region's cacao.

📍 founding: 2010, san francisco, ca

🏪 store count: 7 (sf & lv)

🍫 fan favorites:

• single-origin chocolate bars

• single-origin hot chocolate trio

• a year of chocolates subscription

#7. li-lac chocolates

new york city's oldest chocolate house, li-lac has been handcrafting small-batch chocolates since 1923, becoming a go-to for old-school chocolate lovers & nostalgic treats.

📍 founding: 1923, new york, ny

🏪 store count: 6 (nyc only)

🍫 fan favorites:

• shoe shaped chocolates

• life size basketball of chocolate

• butter crunch chocolates

#8. l.a. burdick

best known for its whimsical chocolate mice (each with hand-tied silk tails), l.a. burdick has built a cult following thanks to its artisanal craftsmanship & rich, european-style hot cocoa.

📍 founding: 1987, new york, ny

🏪 store count: 7 (ma, ny, il, nh, dc)

🍫 fan favorites:

• chocolate mice

• chocolate penguins

• drinking chocolate

#9. mariebelle

founded by maribel lieberman, this luxury chocolatier blends art and chocolate, gaining fame for its hand-painted ganache chocolates in various nyc themes.

📍 founding: 2000, new york, new york

🏪 store count: 6 (nyc & japan)

🍫 fan favorites:

• new york chocolate ganache

• new york neighborhood caramels

• chocolate lunch boxes

#10. fran's

fran bigelow's salted caramels became a sensation after barack obama declared them his favorite, making this seattle-based chocolatier a must-visit for caramel lovers.

📍 founding: 1982, seattle, wa

🏪 store count: 6 (seattle & japan)

🍫 fan favorites:

• gray salt caramels

• smoked salt caramels

• dark chocolate truffles

#11. elbow chocolates

kansas city's most famous chocolatier, christopher elbow, is known for his artistic, jewel-like bonbons that fuse fine chocolate with unique flavors like rosemary and lavender.

📍 founding: 2003, kansas city, mo

🏪 store count: 3 (mo, ca, co)

🍫 fan favorites:

• colorful bonbons

• malt balls

• craft chocolate bars

#12. vosges haut-chocolat

founded by chocolatier katrina markoff, vosges blends chocolate with exotic ingredients like bacon, curry, and matcha, making it one of the most innovative chocolate brands in the u.s.

📍 founding: 1998, chicago, il

🏪 store count: 3 (chi)

🍫 fan favorites:

• exotic truffle collection

• bacon chocolate bar

• caramel marshmallows

#13. jacques torres chocolate

french pastry chef jacques torres, aka "mr. chocolate," gained fame for his decadent hot chocolate and giant, gooey chocolate chip cookies that have become a nyc staple.

📍 founding: 2000, new york, ny

🏪 store count: 2 (nyc)

🍫 fan favorites:

• wicked hot chocolate

• decorative bonbons

• chocolate chip cookies dipped in chocolate

#14. theo chocolate

seattle's theo chocolate was one of the first organic, fair-trade chocolate makers in the u.s., setting the standard for ethical and sustainable bean-to-bar production.

📍 founding: 2006, seattle, wa

🏪 store count: 2 (sadly, looks like 1 is closing on 2/16)

🍫 fan favorites:

• salted almond chocolate bar

• peanut butter cups

• hazelnut crisp chocolate bar

🍪 sweet store szn

chocolate retail is the perfect storm of everything that makes brick & mortar magic:

🎨 the thrill of watching artisans hand-paint bonbons
🥂 the anticipation of the occasion being celebrated
🍫 the warm welcome of freshly made chocolates
💎 the luxury of discovering single-origin bars
😋 the joy of stumbling upon a local fave treat

these little moments of everyday luxury can’t happen on a screen & that's what makes em even sweeter if you ask me.

for the real chocolate connoisseurs, these one-location wonders didn’t make my list yet, but here’s hoping they expand (preferably to atx):

• raaka (nyc)

• fine & raw (nyc)

• chocolate moderne (nyc)

• stick with me sweets (nyc)

• compartes (la)

• recchiuti (sf)

• dick taylor (eureka, ca)

if i missed your fave, spill in the replies! where should i get my v-day chocolates?

quick closing psa from a chocoholic:

whether you're shopping for someone special or treating yourself (both equally valid choices!), skip the drugstore chocolate aisle this year & support your local chocolate artist instead. your taste buds will thank you! 🍫💝

be merry,

MacK

p.s. if you're loving my retail roundups, there are 3 ways you can help keep this newsie merrymaking:

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