We walked into Les Chocolats de Chloe and were overwhelmed by the homey feeling we got. It was simple and warm, not overly fancy or too pristine. As we opened the door, the smell of chocolate overwhelmed us, and we felt like we weren’t in a chocolate shop, but in Chloe’s home.
Her kitchen where she hand dips every chocolate is visible to anyone in the store. And let us tell you, there is no stainless steel, no coldness emanating from this kitchen… it had warmly colored bricks and a window complete with curtains.
The store front was like her living room… chocolates sat on book shelves and in baskets, and her personal collection of cookbooks was out on the shelves for anyone to browse through. Chloe welcomed us into her shop, and only stopped chatting with us to tend to 4 regulars who came in to pick up their weekly batch of chocolates, and she knew each of their names. And that’s typical… she keeps people coming back for more.
Her “style,” she says, is to make good chocolate less snobby. She does make some fancy chocolates with unique fillings, but they don't strike you as inaccessible or overly pretentious. Why? Because Chloe has created a homey and simple environment where she can be her down to earth self and make people feel comfortable, but still indulged. She doesn’t want anyone to be intimidated by good chocolate, and she welcomes anyone to come in and buy even just one piece. She hates the kinds of stores that kick the puffery into high gear to sell their chocolate. Her simple goodness approach to chocolate gives her store so much charm, and it’s what brings her regulars back for more every week.
Opportunity: Forget the fluff.
No comments:
Post a Comment