The Hot Chocolatier

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:44:00.001-08:00

HEY LAST MINUTE FOLKS!

2011-12-24T09:03:00.001-08:00

Cherry Cordial! (Yes, we finally did this one.)

2011-12-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

You know those boxes of cherry cordials you get at any big box store? Imagine a gourmet version of that with gourmet cherries soaked in brandy inside of our 55% dark chocolate. Just take our word for it. You'll want to slow down a bit with this one.

Bacon Cookies!

2011-12-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

You can bring home the bacon and fry it in a pan. Then add it to a double-chocolate chip cookie and create one of the best combinations this side of that big river in Mississippi. We'll be open for Mainx24 today after the parade, offering up some of the best tasting hot chocolate (with our IN-HOUSE-MADE marshmallows!), gourmet desserts, and chocolates. So much of the good stuff that you'll want to smack somebody.

Thanksgiving Day Menu!

2011-11-16T08:23:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Dessert Menu. Order by 2:00 pm on Saturday and we will have it ready for pick up on Wednesday the 23rd between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Share this with family and friends. Thanks! :) Also available are our handmade chocolates and any of our pastries we prepare daily.

Choctoberfest!

2011-10-01T16:26:00.001-07:00

Check this out... Containers.

2011-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

Yes. This is chocolate. We're in the process of creating some containers for chocolates out of chocolate.

GRAND OPENING: SEPTEMBER 1OTH!

2011-09-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

Panning Machines and Specialty Equipment... oh my!

2011-08-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

Still can't figure out why panning attachments for Kitchen-aid mixers are so expensive. Here's an example of the excessive cost that happens when you put a stainless steel element into the equation or you put a brand name on it that associates it with creating specialty foods. I've been baffled at the low cost of motors used in tempering machines before, but this piece of equipment puts it all into perspective. Keep in mind, the mixer is not part of the price - it's sold separately. This is just the "attachment" price.

If you can't quite make out the price for each of these, the top one is $699.99 and the bottom one is $599.99! One works with a table-top mixer and the other is a concrete mixer!

Our 2nd Week Anniversary! Whoot. Whoot.

2011-08-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is like one of those things that people do in the early stages of a relationship; 1st week anniversary, then 2 weeks, then 6 weeks (or a month), then two-months, then a year, etc...etc...
So, yes, we're gonna act like someone in the beginning stages of a good relationship. We're planing on working at it for a good long while. We've had some amazing things happen within these first two weeks, but we've mostly been getting used to the space while adjusting our hours to find the Main St. "sweet spot" (yes, pun intended). So, if you keep up with facebook, you may have seen a shift in our hours and we may continue to adjust them until we settle into a frame of time that works for the location. We're adding things to our pastry case like you wouldn't believe. We sold out of our "Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake with Milk Chocolate Chantilly, Chocolate Cake, and Peanut Brittle" in two hours! We finally got the enrober running and are in the process of switching it over to milk chocolate so as to finish out our normal selection of truffles.
These past two weeks have been exhausting, fun, stressful, and exciting. We've had so many visitors who want to peek in to see what the space looks like. We've heard lots of "this is much better than your last location" - which is exactly what we were shooting for. If you haven't dropped in to experience the space, please do and keep us in mind for meeting up with friends and/or dropping in after dinner. Chances are you'll get to see someone in the process of making the latest creations while you experience the shop.

Website update.

2011-08-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

See the recent update here.
Just a slight update to the website. Needed some directions and the like on there. We were open a week with a decent turn out with only a facebook campaign pushing sales. Next up, new website with ecommerce capability.

Clean as a whistle.

2011-08-17T16:39:00.001-07:00

Just finished cleaning out the mechanical parts in the enrober and scheduled for some dark chocolate enrobing soon. Take a good look 'cause this is as sparkley as it'll be for a while.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.0

We made it on Nooga.com!

2011-08-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Check out the article here!

Why, Hi there!

2011-08-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

busy, busy... I know it sounds like a broken record, but in fact, it's the truest statement about our current comings and goings. We finally cracked the doors on Saturday, peeked out, didn't see our shadow, and put a sign on the door, "Good. we are Open."
We are now blessed with a proper location. We have had friends and family come by to see what we've been working on. A shop of our very own. A place where we can concoct recipes in the name of The Hot Chocolatier. We have been experimenting with various pastry items, as we now have a split hot/cold kitchen. If you remember that restaurant chain back in the early '90s playing around w/ a hamburger with a split container, "hotside/coldside;" well, it's sorta like that. One room for chocolates and another for pastries and front-of-the-house duties. We're currently trying to fine tune hours in hopes of figuring out what this neighborhood offers as far as walk-in/drive up traffic. It's a good spot for picking up something good. It feels good. We're excited about what's to come.

So far, we've come up with a number of layered desserts that were impossible at our other location.

Here's some photos of some finished and some in progress.

Signage (interior).

2011-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is an interior walkway leading to our front door of the shop. We needed something to cover a couple of windows where we have a display case inside. This was the solution.

We made that awning match the sign (with some help).

2011-07-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Ronnie came out to help paint the middle of the awning. It was quite a stretch and we found that one quart was just short of covering the whole thing. After Wendy made a run to the store for more paint and a little extension arm paint brush gadget, we finished it up in the dark. Thanks for all the help Ronnie!

New Sign at our New Shop!

2011-07-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, Check out this sign installed today at our shop at 201 W Main ST. Woo Hoo!

Progress. (Whew!)

2011-07-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy past few weeks. We've been lucky to have Jennifer and Scott Guider, Jim Tate, and Ronnie Hodge on board to help prep for inspections. It's been a real push to get everything in place. We've been finding chairs, tables, bar stools, etc. to finish out our customer area. We're also adding a 20 quart mixer to our land of kitchen appliances/tools. This will definitely ramp up production. We also now have a working (and very clean thanks to Scott) convection oven for baking. If you visited our shop in the past, you probably saw it in the kitchen off in the distance - just waiting to be put to work. Once we have a few more inspections, we will be officially ready to get back to offering up the freshest and finest chocolate creations you can locally purchase. (We'll be adding some pastries to this.)

Keep Posted.

Here's a view of our chocolate kitchen where we decided to keep things aesthetically simple and sparse. This is the area where customers will be able to view the progress of chocolate creations through the windows on the left. From this view, you can see the enrober and our hand sink. To my left is another tempering pot just out of the camera's view.

Here's one view of our packing/packaging area where we can assemble gift assortments, corporate gifts, and gift baskets.

A couple shots of our pastry kitchen where we can bake and prepare ganache for truffles.

Here's another view where you can see the wrap-a-round wood treatment and our convection oven (to the right) finally connected to a proper power supply.

Booths (2 days progress)

2011-06-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

The booths are coming together nicely.

Just wanted to post an update image showing the outer covering on the booths.

The table tops are shown in the foreground.

(photo by Wendy's android)

A shot with the table tops installed and the steel edging around surfaces.

(To the left is a table surface w/ a hole in the top for a trashcan underneath.)

Brandon admiring Pegged/Joe Brogdon's handiwork.

(Check out the swinging door between the counter and chocolate case!)

Two More Photos.

2011-06-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Just a couple more shots of the progress going on at the shop (for those of you who haven't seen these on Facebook).

Booths for the seating area of the shop. Windows to the right face Main Street.

A shot with the chocolate and pastry cases in place. The windows in the background look directly into the cold chocolate kitchen. Note the wall on the left covered w/ reclaimed wood - built by Pegged.

So, Rome wasn't built in a day...

2011-06-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

...and neither was the new storefront for The Hot Chocolatier.
We have been super busy around the shop. Putting on the finishing touches here and there, and starting new projects while thinking of more new projects... We have been keeping all the images of shops abroad in mind while thinking of the look for the new location. While the cold kitchen is pretty much intact and ready to work in, the room for the hot kitchen is undergoing some work. For instance, we have a fire suppressant system installed right above the stove. We also now have a convection oven and a pastry case in place and plugged in while previously just storing them until now. We will have a proper area for visitors to sit and enjoy things instead of racing home with them. This is something we've seen more in the states than abroad - as most shops only offer just a take-away type of setup overseas. Seems most people enjoy bringing things home to prepare in France & Belgium - you can hardly even get a set of disposable silverware to enjoy recent purchases picnic style. We had to bring desserts with us into restaurants serving lunch so that we could use their forks to gobble down chocolate layered desserts before heading to the next patisserie/chocolate shop.
So, painting will be finished soon and we are in the process of having Joe Brogdon of Pegged (with the help of some crew members) construct our booths, sales counter, and wall dress-out all incorporating reclaimed wood. So excited to see it coming together.
We still have some inspections to undergo as soon as all construction ceases. I'm posting a few shots of the shop with painting underway and lumber/construction partially in place for the dining area. You'll notice a wall w/ a plywood backing installed - this is where a horizontal arrangement of reclaimed wood will be installed. It seems that as each day passes, the shop looks more and more like what we've been envisioning for our new customized layout. We wouldn't have been able to incorporate several components without the help of the MakeWork grant and the Lyndhurst Foundation. We greatly appreciate the help.
Keep posted for shots from our travels abroad - I have not forgotten about sharing these w/ everyone.
For now, enjoy just a few "in-progress" new shop shots. More to come...

Inside the office area (previously a big safe). It's gonna remain raw and as-is w/ some old notes written on the wall just through the doorway.

You can see the painting inside the shop almost finished in the background. It's quiet warmer when you stand right up near the ceiling to roll on paint. Luckily, we had a helper clown.

Wendy is cleaning up the appearance of the entrance/foyer area leading into the shop. You can also see the lumber stacked and waiting to be attached to the fixtures being constructed by Pegged.

Milled reclaimed lumber from Pegged about to be installed.

A shot from the door entrance toward the back wall. The blue padded blanket is covering our chocolate case. Beside it sits our pastry case. The area just behind the case will be packaging, and just beyond that will be a "hot" kitchen - with the "cold" chocolate kitchen on the other side of the windows to the right in the photo. Note those old tin ceiling tiles 14 ft. up there. (I know these ceilings are 14 ft. high because I recently rented a 16 ft. ladder which obviously did not help us at all...)

Thanks for checking in,

-b.

New Shop on Main Street.

2011-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

So, if you're familiar with the Wednesday Main Street Farmer's Market, then you probably know where this building is located. It's at the corner of Williams and Main (on Main between Market and Broad St.)

You're looking at an interior shot of the new chocolate kitchen. Wendy is inspecting the partial wall that separates our packaging area from the rest of the kitchen. The windows to the left look directly into the shop (so that customers can see us in the act of creating products).

This view is from Wendy's point of view in the previous photo, looking back to where I was standing in the door frame. If you notice the ceiling; it has been sealed with a clearcoat to allow those large wooden beams to show. It'll be a nice rustic touch against all the machinery.

This shot is the view from the customer entrance where the windows allow viewing right into the kitchen area. If you look closely, you'll see a sink in the background. We'll have our ovens, freezers, and other appliances along the back wall - so that we can bake without affecting the coolness of the chocolate kitchen. (This separation between hot and cold areas is super exciting as our current location hasn't allowed us the possibility to have two temperature zones running at the same time.) The front counter (with both our chocolate and pastry cases) will line up between the wall 'o' windows and the beam/pole that you see to the left. We'll have a small seating area just to the left as you enter this room. We're in the process of developing our color scheme/aesthetic into this area. If you imagine a dark brown where all the grey is and white where all the light grey is, then you can kinda get an idea of where the space is headed. The back wall of the chocolate kitchen may also change to a dark red (this is still speculative).

This view is from the back wall looking toward the shop's entrance. So from this angle, you can get a bit of a clearer idea of the window view into the kitchen area. This will be an area of baking, drink making, and packing of sold items from the cases. The door on the left is to the office (it was a walk-in vault at one point - how cool is that?)

SO EXCITING! So just a little preview... Stay tuned for updates!

Thanks to the Lyndhurst Foundation, CreateHere/Makework, and The Chattanooga Opportunity Fund for helping make this move possible.

Packing for the move...

2011-05-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

So what have we here? you may be asking yourself? Well, it appears that we're in the process of moving the shop. And sooner than later.... as in, this coming MONDAY. We are picking up and packing up and getting to the other side of town. Evidently, our contractor for the new location is such a nice guy that he has told us to be ready to move... on Monday. This is just a quick post to let everyone know what's going on. We are so grateful to everyone who's been checking in on us and helping us pack and move. Soon, I will be posting pics from our trip to France and Belgium... I haven't forgotten about my promise to do that... soon.

-Brandon

The Hot Chocolatier™ is Trademarked.

2011-04-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

We are proud to be able to officially call ourselves The Hot Chocolatier™.

To be continued...

2011-04-06T01:58:00.000-07:00

Due to paid wi-fi in Brussels, we're gonna have to pick back up with this when it's free again... We're well past day 3 and on our way to Bruges.

Day 2: Paris, Walking and Walking

2011-04-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

We woke up and tried the boulangerie (bread shop) on the corner of Rue de Fondary and Avenue Emile Zola for a couple of inexpensive sandwiches to go. I learned that poulet is chicken after deciding on the pulled pork sandwich (thinking that it could not be that far off spelling-wise), and Wendy went w/ the ham (jambon). Both came with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. We've both noticed that the cheese on everything is pretty amazing; I suppose growing up with orangey-plastic-individually-wrapped-sliced cheese will pretty much make any Gruyère (seemingly a common cheese used here) taste awesome. We took the Metro to the Madeleine Chapel and ate on its steps. After finishing up and walking through a fishy smelling market that was closing for the day, we made it to a shopping area in the opera house district and wandered through a few of the high-end tourist chocolate/pastry shops (Fauchon being one we remember) and noticed all of the fish themed chocolates packaged and ready for easter. We made our way around a corner or two and found one of Laduree Sucre's locations and went in to choose a few things we had read/heard about. After choosing the caramel, raspberry, and pistachio macarons, we went in blazing for the Saint-Honore and their raspberry, rose, and lychee pastries. We stopped on our way to the Lourvre to put the raspberry one to rest. It was a bit too pretty to eat, but we had to dig in after pulling the rose petal off of the top. The flavors made me want to slap any random old lady found crossing the garden area towards the museum buildings; tart and then sweet rose infused cream with lychee nut. Too bad we could only find a stand nearby with Nescafe powdered coffee to wash it all down - surprisingly since there's an Illy shop in the airport.
Next, we made it through the Lourvre to see works by seemingly all of the Renaissance masters, as well as ancient works found all throughout. Too many to mention here... One thing of note to say here is that the Mona Lisa is bigger than everyone says.
After dragging Wendy through countless rooms of old stuff, I finally got to see the stele with Hammarabi's code inscribed into it (one of the first cuneiform-style sets of laws ever written). Under the Louvre is a mall of all things. One Starbucks frappachino later, we visited the Louvre-mall's La Maison du Chocolat and took note of the large lighting fixtures looming above and their jewelry case style presentation. They also had out their Easter creations for sale.
Oh, there's also a pay-to-use posh bathroom down there in the Mall, too... So, bizarre. Any color/print of toilet paper you can think of.
Post-Louvre, we found a different location of La Mason du Chocolat along the Champs-Elysses, purchased a few bon bons (which I'll list specifically later), and then made it to the Arch d'Trompe where we circled it before finding the entrance to the stairs to the top. Needless to say, we've figured out how everyone stays thin here; lots of walking and not so much fast food. Two hundred and eighty or so steps later, we were on top where we could watch the breakdancers on the street below. We begrudgingly walked back down and tried to rush off to beat closing time at the Eiffel Tower. We'll have to try again tomorrow because our travel guide failed to mention that they stop letting people in the lift thirty minutes prior to closing. Strike one travel guide.

Day 1: Paris, France

2011-04-01T01:44:00.000-07:00

So, our first day here in Paris involved the following tasks: luggage, obtaining a wifi connection, a museum pass for 4 days, a Metro (public transit) pass for 3 days, exchanging currency into Euros, finding/booking a hotel for 4 days, and then finding the hotel to crash land... We hadn't given much forethought to the time difference, but here in France is a 6 hour adjustment from our time there in the states. This translates to grogginess. Much grogginess as we schlepped our luggage through the streets and underbelly of the Metro system looking for connections between trains. (Having lived in Chicago, we figured it would be easy to connect from train to train; however, this is true only if you read French names well...)
We had to catch up on sleep before meeting up with Wendy's cousins, Hannah, who treated us to an incredible dinner at Le Bristol Hotel! It was an amazing evening of course after course of things I've never tasted before in my life (I still have a passion-fruit caramel in a pocket somewhere.) I will post images of our various servings as soon as I get an iPad camera dock.) I had the lamb w/ a seaweed crust and asparagus/greens gnocchi while Wendy had the whiting on a bed of spinach w/ a crisp almond tulle. I'll link to the menu for specifics.
We both bid Hannah farewell and walked the streets surrounding the Presidential Palace and Opera House. We spotted two shops we plan to visit today. Check in tomorrow for details. Thanks again to MakeWork for among this possible!

Getting Ready.

2011-03-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

BIG NEWS! We finally bought a new suitcase. It's one of those hard shell type deals with wheels and plenty of room for our clothes and toiletries. We have our passports, purchased our plane tickets, and are currently making some detailed lists of things to see and do while in France and Belgium. We've been trying to decide what we can easily travel around with and/or do without while trekking throughout European city shops. We plan to keep a laptop with us to instantly blog about experiences we're having. We've also picked up one of those small pocket-sized flip-style camcorders to document our travels. Hopefully, we can occasionally hop on a wireless network and let everyone back home in on what we're up to.
If you've never seen David Lebovitz's blog, it's worth a look. He's offered up some great descriptions and images of various shops/delicacies all over his blog. Occasionally, the topic of finding practical things, such as public restrooms for Paris visitors, comes up and raises a bit of panic in the "always be prepared" boy scout part of me. Another website http://www.parispatisseries.com/ has post after post about several must-see shops we plan to visit.
Wendy has compiled a list from several sources which has a number of shops we hope to visit while there. Many of these also have shops in Belgium, so if we don't get to some in Paris, we'll wait and visit their Belgium locations. Check these out and you'll notice that most do not skimp on web design. Lots of European shops and restaurants boast flash-heavy sites with audio and high end graphics of their offerings. Many look like jewelry stores. We experienced a bit of this aesthetic when we visited San Francisco a while back.

Patrick Roger: http://www.patrickroger.com/en/index.php
Michel Cluizel: http://www.cluizel.com/
Michel Chaudun: http://www.michel-chaudun.jp/
Christian Constant: http://www.christianconstant.com/
Jean-Paul Hévin: http://www.jphevin.com/
La Maison du Chocolat: http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/#/home
Pierre Hermé: http://www.pierreherme.com/index.cgi?&cwsid=0663ph0A000108ph8718225
Pierre Marcolini: http://www.marcolini.be/
Richart: http://www.richart.com/
Lenotre: http://www.lenotre.fr/
Ladurée: http://www.laduree.fr/
Hugo & Victor: http://www.hugovictor.com/
La Patisserie des Reves: http://www.parispatisseries.com/2010/12/03/inside-la-patisserie-des-reves/
Sadaharu Aoki: http://www.sadaharuaoki.com/profil/en.html
Pain de Sucre: http://www.patisseriepaindesucre.com/
Carl Marletti: http://www.carlmarletti.com/

We are looking forward to hitting the ground running over there and hope that if anyone has any suggestions, to post them here in the comments or contact us on Facebook. In a couple of weeks, we'll be taking a trip to Atlanta to watch a demo by Master Chocolatier, Chef Jean-Pierre Wybauw (from Belgium). Wendy has taken classes from him in the past, and we hope to ask him about his favorite (chocolate-related) things to experience in Belgium.

In other news, we finally saw a drawn copy of a floor plan for our new location. So exciting! Check back periodically for updates on our travel plans. We'll be posing developments up to and during our trip.
-Brandon

Our cart is broken...

2011-02-20T19:57:00.001-08:00

Welp, looks like the huge cart that we loaned out a few weeks ago has been found (stashed away downstairs) with broken wheels. If it's not operable before the market season, we're in for it... This reminds me of that kid who borrowed a pencil in elementary school and returned it with the eraser missing and chew marks all over it.

We are Moving!!!

2011-02-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

YES! It is true! We have signed a new lease at a NEW location! We are extremely excited and can't wait to get there! Where is it??? Well.... I want to start out by talking about our current location. We have been located in the Hamilton County Business Development Center since October 2008. I have a lot of customers who ask us WHY we are here and I want to make sure everyone knows that answer.

When I started the process of looking for a location for my business...I found that it was no easy thing to decide. In fact, it was super hard! I wanted it to be the perfect spot! Finally, I found a tiny space in Coolidge Park that I felt was perfect for us. After spending countless hours of planning and contacting the various inspectors and workers to get quotes... the bad news hit me. POW!, right in the stomach. I was told by the building inspectors that I would need to spend about $40,000.00 to bring that space up to code before I could even move in. That does not even include the many other inspection fees... or the air conditioning unit I would have needed to install, etc. I had to turn it down.

Heartbroken, I didn't know what to do. I was told by Elijah Cameron of The Chattanooga Opportunity Fund (where we got a small business loan) to talk to Kevin Maxfield at the Tennessee Business Development Center. Kevin immediately started to help. He got me in touch with the Director of the Business Development Center, Kathryn Foster, and she started showing me spaces that were available to start up businesses. In my heart I wanted to have a storefront but with the amount of money we would be saving to start in the BDC, it made it a safe and smart decision to make. They offer reduced rent for new small businesses, small business counseling is offered, etc. Because I started on a very tight budget...meaning we put everything we had into this business and then some... Brandon and I decided that it was wise to start off in the BDC and "incubate" for a few years.

After moving in, we became VERY busy! I have worked at the shop full time while Brandon has kept another full time job and has even taught at UTC and Chattanooga State on top of coming to the shop in the evenings and helping me out. We have worked MANY LONG days! Sometimes even 18 or 19 hours to fill orders and stock our shelves! Sometimes we have had to recruit our amazing family and friends to help us out. We have grown quickly and a few months ago were able to hire two lovely ladies to help us out. It has been very tough and we have had ups and downs but it has been worth every minute of it. We still feel like there are bigger and better things in our future!

Just before Christmas, renovation began on the BDC, making it even more difficult for our customers to find us. The big old ugly building that we moved in is now even uglier! BUT in a few more months it will become an extremely nice facility. Offering even more spaces for small businesses to begin. Now that our time is nearing it's end at the BDC, we are very very thankful for our customers finding their way to our shop. It is very flattering and we extremely appreciate their support through all of this! We cannot do it without you!

We have been looking for the perfect store front to finally move into for a long time now. This has been a very tough decision to make and has taken a long time! We conducted a poll online to see just where our customers thought we would best be located. Majority wanted us on the North Shore followed by the Southside. We love both areas. We looked at multiple locations in both areas and finally found a beautiful shop. It is also affordable for us and we will be able to have our manufacturing onsite with our shop, which was very important to us. We are moving to MAIN STREET! Our future shop is located at 201 West Main Street at the corner of Main St. and Williams St. Right next to our previous neighbors who also started out in the BDC, Townsend Atelier. We will also be next door to the Wednesday Main Street Farmer's Market with free parking on Williams Street and in the lot next door. The shop will be ready for us to move in hopefully by May!

We have learned A LOT in this short 2 1/2 years we have been open and have much to be thankful for. It isn't easy to start a business. We love what we do and we know that over time things will get easier for us. Chocolate is a tough product to work with...but it is our passion. We strive to make the best chocolates for our customers and will continue to do so on Main Street! Wish us luck!
~Wendy

Valentine's Day Hours!

2011-02-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

The shop is ready for Valentine's Day.

2011-01-28T21:41:00.001-08:00

Still stocking truffles into the case... We have tons of boxes and gift baskets to put together the perfect gift within your budget!

Like a pro.

2011-01-27T18:45:00.001-08:00

Wendy filming for Trends on 3 to air this Saturday at 9:30am on WRCB channel 3!

In the paper just before Valentine's Day...

2011-01-27T09:49:00.000-08:00

We made headlines in the business section (print edition) of the Chattanooga Times Free Press today! Well, maybe not "top" headlines, but how about front page/bottom corner of the business page. Wherever it shows up is fine by us as long as it spreads the news about our handmade artisan goodness crafted right here in downtown Chattanooga!
Read the segment for yourself right here!

New Pastry Case and Other Preparations...

2011-01-14T10:55:00.001-08:00

Well, yesterday Wendy received a call from Bruce Bennett (of BML/JD Backlund Guitars) who was wondering if she had a use for a case that was about to be transported from a closed-up coffee shop to a storage unit in Cleveland... So, thanks to him, we are now the owners of a pastry case for our shop. Aside from our chocolate products, we will begin offering a few dessert items after we relocate to our new location (still in process). This is a big step for us as this was another crucial element to offering our customers items currently not available in Chattanooga.

We continue to be in the process of connecting all of the nuts and bolts on our enrobing machine to have it up and running in time for the Valentine's Day rush. We are getting close. Everything is in place on the machine, so as soon as we get confirmation about a few areas where parts interlock and have to be precise, we'll be good to go! We'd like to thank the folks again at CreateHere through which we were able to purchase the machine via a MakeWork grant.

We are also in the process of trying to plan our trip abroad to study/observe chocolate manufacturing/processes/vendors in Belgium and France. Stay tuned for future posts with regards to this exciting trip (also part of our MakeWork grant)!

The Chocolate Waterfall part of the Enrobing Machine.

2011-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:00

So, this is where all the magic happens. It fills up w/ chocolate and falls through the slit along the sides of the bottom and creates a curtain of chocolate for items to pass through. So awesome! Stay tuned for images of it in action!
(This photo was uploaded via cellphone, so hopefully, I'll be able to post more photos more quickly to the blog now that I've figured this out.)

Still at it!

2010-12-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

We are about to wrap up the Holiday Season and will be looking forward to the new year. Updates you ask? Well, we just made an upgrade in the graphics department with something that will allow our branding/labeling to be cleaner and editable more efficiently. Keeping it all in-house means lots of fussing with cables, printers, routers, networking, computer speed, alignment with all kinds of printed materials and application/placement of stickers and labels on items. We're hoping to continue to streamline the process of design and packaging so that new products can be conceived, made, and packaged and jive with the rest of our offerings.
Stay tuned as I hope to launch some new site changes soon!
-b.

Tis The Holiday Season! Oh, yes it Tis.

2010-12-16T18:51:00.001-08:00

So, like you didn't already know, we are in the midst of the Holiday Season 'round these parts. We are working like mad to fill orders and haven't had a chance to stop and post about our progress towards setting up the enrober and moving to our new location. The primary reason we haven't posted anything is that we have been soooooooooooo busy. And according to everyone (except maybe Wendy while working into the wee hours at the shop), "busy" is a good thing.

In fact it is a very good thing.

We have been considering a few things: 1) people are searching us out for gifts even while our current location is in the beginning stages of demolition/renovation, 2) corporate gift purchases have increased two or three times since last year, 3) we have learned that several of our steady customers (using us as a locally made product in their own shops) have really been supportive and understanding during this busy season! Kudos to Chattz Coffee, The Terminal, and Umbra Essence for stocking our products this season!

So what to make of items 1, 2, and 3? Well for one, it's now proven that we have products that keeps people coming (even as the building we are currently in is not so inviting right now). Another thing we've been discussing around the shop is the importance of working with understanding vendors who stock our products. After we say, "Someone just wiped us out of our solid dark chocolate trees," it's great to hear "Whenever you make some more, bring them to us." It's much better to be working with people with this mentality over the usual, "if you can't meet our demands, then you're out of here." Businesses understanding and really working with each other is a win win for everyone.

The last and most important thing (not on the list above) that we've learned time and time again during this season is that we have incredible friends, family, friends' family, and countless other people who want to help us out so that we can fill orders and grow as a business. It's been incredible to have people offering up their own free time as they say, "I have a couple hours tomorrow if you need me." To know that people really want this to work for us has been the biggest blessing in all the chaos.

Thank you to all who have offered to help and have pitched in during this season! We also have to thank The Chattanooga Market for giving us a venue to grow our business each weekend! Without it, we wouldn't have half of our regular customers. We ended out with The Holiday Market stronger than we ever have. We also took part in a great event that popped up at the renovated firehall in St. Elmo! Whoa, that was really a testament to vendors pulling together under one roof and making it work. Thanks to Emerson Burch of Artisant Homes for offering us a space at this one!

Here's to everyone a Safe and Happy Holiday Season and New Year! Have some good Hot Chocolate with someone you care about!

Some Thanksgiving Hours!

2010-11-22T23:44:00.001-08:00

So we finally have the machine!

2010-11-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

We drove to Birmingham to pick up the new Enrobing machine!!! If you're headed to or from Birmingham in a U-Haul and know of another way to get there, take it. After securing the machine inside our rental truck, bumping into a few bright orange barrels, and following each other along a bumpy one-lane interstate road; we made it back to Chattanooga with everything intact.

We finally have it in the shop (after first fitting it snugly into the freight elevator)!

As soon as we got it in the shop, we quickly realized how much work it would be to clean it and get it up and running again! I also had to call the manufacturer and get a manual for it as well. So many more things to align and knobs to turn... Soooo... that is where we are. We are hoping to get it up and running in order to fulfill some of our Christmas chocolate orders! Can't wait to be able to use it!

It's Gourmet Caramel Apple Time!

2010-10-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, it's fall and you know what that means? Local apples are in season and suitable for dunking into caramel, nuts, and chocolate! We offer a number of variations as the season gets into full swing. Last year's most adventurous offering was covered in graham cracker crumbs and tiny marshmallows for a S'mores creation. The apples in the picture above are (from left to right) Double-Chocolate Caramel, Butter Crunch, Milk Chocolate Toasted Pecan, and Dark Chocolate Peanut.
So you can be more than sure when you get one from The Hot Chocolatier, it will be from a local orchard, fresh, and loaded with goodness!

The Next Big Thing

2010-10-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready for a new arrival at The Hot Chocolatier! We have been working super hard at the shop and found a machine to help our lives become a little easier! We will be driving to Birmingham, AL to pick up our new Chocolate Enrobing Machine!!! If you have never heard of this kind of equipment, think of this episode of "I Love Lucy".

This machine takes each piece through a "chocolate waterfall" via conveyor belt to be covered (enrobed) with chocolate. Then it takes each chocolate through a cooling tunnel to speed up the crystallization process which makes each piece "set up" or "dry" to be ready for packaging as it comes to the end of the belt. Sounds easy right? Wrong! It will take us a while to learn the machine because all machines have a mind of their own. It also takes highly skilled chocolatiers to understand the chocolate and maintain correct temperatures of the chocolate to assure that it will remain in perfect temper. Each piece will be inspected as it goes down the line and prior to packaging. This equipment will help us increase our production capabilities at least TEN TIMES!!! This will be an amazing addition to our shop! With increased production we will be able to hire helpers (finally!) and get this new business of ours going in the right direction!

This Chocolate Enrobing Machine will lead us to many more things. We are rapidly growing and extremely excited! We will keep everyone up to date with all of our developments! Then what?? You may ask?? We will have to move our shop! This will happen SOON so please stay tuned! ~Brandon & Wendy

Sculpture for an Open House!

2010-09-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

We just recently finished a sculpture for an open house celebration for a spa here in Chattanooga. This gives us the opportunity to step away from kitchen production and put some creativity (and patience) to use. We worked with the client to find out what type of elements they would like to see (in this case, an orchid and a lotus flower) and the scale to which to size the piece. The photos below will show a bit of the process working from a sketch on paper to a finished (completely edible) sculpture made out of chocolate. (They also ordered two trays of bite-sized items for the event.)

Y'know what you should do?

2010-09-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of starting a business is getting to dream up ideas for products to make, considering how products should be branded/packaged, and then finally, imagining the outlet in which you plan to offer your goods to the public (be it a brick & mortar retail shop or online wholesale distributor). There's plenty more to consider as well (& maybe not the most fun part of operating a business): do we (or can we) manufacture our own products or will we be a reseller? Who should we sign with for processing credit/debit card sales? What's our best way to manage inventory/workflow most efficiently? Who's the best accountant/bookkeeper/tax preparator? What types of inspections do we have to undergo and how much does that cost? Do we really need the world's biggest fire extinguisher when we don't have a deep fryer? How many donations can various organizations possibly request from a start-up business? What type of insurance do we need? Will every tradeshow, market, or fair we participate in actually yield “good exposure” for our business? And so on and so on... Basically for all the great aspects of starting a business, there are plenty of unsavory and unpleasant things that have to be dealt with as well.

Someone once told me that you spend the first couple of years deciding what type of business you are NOT. And I believe they said this because they had experienced most of the mistakes a first time business owner takes while trying to get a grip on the reality of dealing with the public.

I bring this up, not so much as a complaint, but to raise some awareness of what your local start-up business person may be experiencing and why they may be wincing after you say, "you know what you need to do with your business and/or products?" Many times, the general public may have very little idea or concept of what it takes to create things out of a meltable product such as chocolate. A cool environment with low-humidity and lack of odor of any kind (as chocolate will absorb smells) is required. Working with chocolate also requires lots of patience, such as monitoring temperature closely and ensuring that specific amounts of ingredients are added in the proper order (we're talking tenths of grams here). As products are made and at their peak in terms of flavor, truffles and other filled chocolates will only last a number of weeks before spoiling. These are aspects you hardly hear about on The Food Network while their big contests/challenges are taking place.

We certainly appreciate people offering up helpful ideas in hopes of increasing sales; but more often than not, we encounter a number of concepts that either wouldn't work with our products or fall outside of our concept for a handmade artisan chocolate company. In keeping with our original business model to maintain a boutique-style/upscale selection of products, we must adhere to a high quality of raw product and close attention to detail in packaging and appearance. In other words, suddenly concocting a product for a specific purpose just to see if it will fly is no easy (or inexpensive) task. As for now, our current largest obstacle we are working to overcome is our location. The building we are in is about to undergo a renovation that will further separate us from potential clients dropping by to place orders for wedding favors or gift baskets. We also are unable to put up signage, so we’ve been operating by paid advertisements and word of mouth. We realize that the building is a maze. But what are the trade-offs for this? Cheaper overhead to ensure quality products for our customers.

The impetus for this post has been a long time coming as we continually hear unconstructive criticism from the general public. We’ve even had one visitor seek us out to make an appearance only to say, “you guys are too hard to find!” before leaving without a purchase. So please bear with us as we continue to develop our business model in hopes of better serving our customers and clients. Before long we hope to have parking, seating, and fewer excuses for people to not drop by to experience what we’ve been working on.
-Brandon

Next common myth/topic to address:
"Owning a business means you are wealthy."

I Heart Art.

2010-08-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

Someone recently asked me "What is art?". That is a good question and very hard to put into words. Everyone has their own interpretation. To me, art is many things. Art is creativity, a way to express one's self or make a statement. A way to show beauty, humor, or despair. Art is a release. Art, in my opinion, is comforting. Even if it is a depressing oil painting, I know that someone's thoughts are behind it. I like to think about what made the artist choose their subject matter. We surround ourselves with it in our homes. We see it preserved in museums. We see it in the public. We make it. As a Chattanoogan, I believe that public art is important because it creates a unique environment, a feel of diversity, and makes a city have its defining character. It makes us stand out as a community. Public art adds charm to Chattanooga's natural beauty. It is enticing and it draws people into the city making it interesting and gives motive to explore its inner core. It draws people here and I think we need more of it. In a way, I consider The Hot Chocolatier to be a form of public art. We are open to and serve the public our creations each week. We strive to be unique and use the best ingredients to make our products appeal to everyone as comforting, delicious, and satisfying. We want everyone to indulge themselves with our beautiful handmade chocolates.
So, why is what we do so important? Being a chocolatier is a form of culinary art. It is my creative outlet. Chocolate is the medium which I have chosen to work with. It is something I do because I love it. I find it fascinating to work with and I enjoy learning more about it everyday. I appreciate working with it as much as I love to present it to others to enjoy visually as much as it's taste. Chocolate is comforting and I have a passion for creating beautiful, edible works of art for everyone to enjoy. Also, its origins are rich with history. This history alone makes me excited to keep the art of working with chocolate strong and an important ingredient to offer everyone.
Before I knew I was going to be a chocolatier, I studied art. I began with drawing and moved into painting. I had a great professor who gave our class the assignment of making a painting in the style of another particular artist. I chose Jasper Johns who is famous for his encaustic paintings. Encaustic paintings are made by melting beeswax, mixing pigment into the wax, and using that as your paint. I became fascinated with it and absolutely loved working with this medium. I have always loved art, yet I never knew what I wanted to become. I struggled with finding a career path. I worked lots of retail jobs, a few desk jobs, and even worked in a hospital. Finally, I realized that there was one thing I always enjoyed doing. I loved baking. I loved making candies. I even started selling my creations to co-workers when I worked at the hospital. I decided to go to pastry school. That was one of the best decisions I have ever made. We moved to Chicago where I attended The French Pastry School. It was a challenge I pushed myself to do and after learning all forms of pastries, breads, ice creams, chocolate and sugar sculpture, chocolate and sugar candies, etc.; I still found that my passion was working with chocolate. I love it because you can do so much with it. My favorite, both then and now, has been sculpting with chocolate.
About nine years after my initial study of art, one of my professors visited our chocolate shop. He looked at some of the sculptures I had on display and at the truffles in our case. He said, "Have you ever noticed the similarities between your old paintings and your work with chocolate?". I hadn't thought about it but I immediately made the connection and my stomach dropped. How could I have not noticed this? Chocolate and wax are so similar. I found it so amazing that this had happened. After struggling for so long to find my path, I felt like it had been right before my eyes. It is so funny where life leads you. All the connections I've made have led me to where I am at this point in my life. My study of chocolate as a medium truly started in my kitchen back in 2003 and I feel as though I have only just scratched the surface. There is so much more to come. It is important for me to carry on my work with chocolate so that I can continue to provide my customers with my artwork. (Please visit Cameron Adam's Blog "Chattanooga Charm" for his post about this and photos. Special THANKS to Cameron and my super special husband, Brandon, for helping me get to where I am!)
~Wendy

Start of a new chapter

2010-07-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Until recently, we have mostly used our blog to update you periodically on events we are having at the shop...or to show you new products as we create them. We will continue doing this...along with much more. We'll be adding a lot more things on a personal level now...such as the trip we took last month to San Francisco. We have plans to do more traveling and will be purchasing new equipment to keep us busy creating lots of NEW products. We are working to "advance our career" and will let you know how and when things develop. The Hot Chocolatier is our business...and so far it has been SO much fun and A LOT of hard work. This business has become our lives as well. What we do at The Hot Chocolatier is a result of what we do or have done in our lives such as traveling, studying, eating, meeting people, etc. We will begin journaling more about how CHOCOLATE has become our lives and where it leads us. This will be a great chance for everyone to get to know us a little better and I think for us to get to know ourselves a little better too. Thank you for joining us on this journey and watching us grow as individuals and also as The Hot Chocolatier.
Your Chocolatiers, Wendy & Brandon Buckner

Our trip to San Francisco: June 19-22, 2010.

2010-07-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

After the wedding of our friends John and Thera Ringhofer, we set out for a journey into as many chocolate/pastry shops we could within the couple of days we gave ourselves to explore Berkeley and San Francisco.

Here's Wendy next to the ironing board/tables on Bakesale Betty's sidewalk. Bakesale Betty's only had a parchment paper/sharpie marker sign letting everyone know that today they had fried chicken or egg salad sandwiches, strawberry shortcake, lemon drinks, and ginger molasses cookies. They were very busy.

Next, we drove to one of Chocolatier Blue's locations and happened to meet Chris Blue (the owner!) and found out that he also attended the French Pastry School in Chicago. He's about to open his fourth location.

Here's a shot of a box of each truffle offered. We got to try them all! Chris Blue uses Amedei chocolate and airbrushes his molded chocolates to give them that jewel-like appearance.

We were able to stop at the Muir Woods National Park before heading to San Francisco. Climbing inside of one of these huge redwoods really gives you a bit of perspective on their age. We saw a couple of deer and a Buddhist monk with a entourage carrying a speaker playing music through the woods.
Once we reached SF, we went right to the Mission District and found Tartine Bakery.

We had a chance to peer into the kitchen to see loaves of bread resting on a table, and then split a slice of their lemon meringue cake w/ some coffee. It had layers of lemon curd and an outer covering of toasted meringue. (See the image above of the pastry case with a full cake appearing on the bottom shelf).

We drove out to the Fisherman's Wharf area and grabbed an In-N-Out burger before walking past Boudin Bakery where you could watch the bakers pulling loaves of sourdough bread out of their ovens. They had a number of crazy shaped loaves in the window on display.

This is a shot inside Coco-luxe in The Haight. We had to sample their hot chocolate before heading to Amoeba Records near the end of the street.

We left The Haight and our GPS took us to Christopher Elbow's Chocolate Shop where we saw a jewelry store type layout with a lounging area.

Down the street and around the corner, we found Miette! It was an old world style shop w/ cakes, candies, and even ice cream sandwiches. I spotted some Mast Brothers Bars for sale. We bought a gingerbread cupcake and headed to Paulette. We were also informed that the original Blue Bottle Coffee Shop was just down the alleyway. (It was essentially an opened garage door with a line of people waiting for coffee drinks.)

Paulette is a very clean looking shop which sells a variety of brightly colored French macarons. A bit different from the standard coconut macaroons that Americans are used to; these French macarons are meringue based cookies with a sandwiched filling between.

The next day we visited the Fisherman's Wharf area again to check out shops in the Ferry Building and TCHO (where it's rumored that they make their own chocolate from bean to bar).

They have a small shop and (sadly) don't offer tours...

Recchiuti is a shop in the Ferry Building with an assortment of various truffles and packaged items. Very earthy looking shop among a series of tourist-y based shops. Another Miette location was among the shops as well.

As we ended our California visit, our friend, Kevin, guided us to the west coast where we witnessed the FOGGIEST day ever. It was COLD too. We walked just far enough out to have the water wash up and cover our feet. It's interesting to point in a direction and imagine that Japan is just over this body of water. I waved "Hi" to Japan.

Christmas in July!!! This weekend!!! Santa will be here!!!

2010-07-13T21:39:00.001-07:00

Father's Day is June 20th!

2010-06-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

A slightly cleaner look.

2010-05-25T23:00:00.001-07:00

Well, if you notice, there's a few small changes to this blog. Fewer icons all around and a header at the top that fits. Oh, and if you look at our icon in your web browser, you'll notice it's no longer a blogger icon, but ours! Hope you enjoy a slightly more streamlined look.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

2010-05-19T16:54:00.001-07:00

We've been working like crazy on a few new products, as well as meeting w/ various people/designers about revamping the website for e-commerce possibilities... We just noticed today that the blog still had a Mother's Day ad on it. So, sorry for being lazy about updating the blog. We update the facebook page more often (and soon both will be sync'd to feed off of each other). We are looking to update our email addresses too, so we'll be adjusting our promotional materials to show the change. wow.
Oh, we've been setting up at The Chattanooga Market each Sunday at the First Tennessee Pavilion downtown off of Carter St. and Main. Drop by and see us there... (We will be dropping off of their schedule for a few of the hottest days of summer - so stay posted).
Thanks!

Mother's Day Hours! C'mon, Be Nice to your Mom!

2010-05-05T11:12:00.001-07:00

We will also be set up at The Chattanooga Market on Sunday if you need a last minute gift! (Please keep in mind that our product availability at the Market is limited due to temperature/weather conditions: you could always bring Mom by for a freshly dipped frozen banana or strawberry kabob!) Truffles are a favorite among most Moms!

Lookie Here!

2010-04-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

We made it into the Business section of the Chatt Times Free Press. Click HERE to read up!

All your Ducks in a row...

2010-04-15T20:30:00.001-07:00

Wendy has been working on creating 3D Belgian White chocolate ducks for Parkridge's "April Shower" exclusive event for expecting mothers. These are close to the exact size of actual Rubber Duckies, but taste way less rubbery than the real thing.

3rd Annual "Chocolate Fling" at The Mill!

2010-04-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

We participated again this year in "The Chocolate Fling" at The Mill to benefit The Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tennessee. This was our second year in a row to receive the award for "Most Creative Presentation." We have so many people ask of our chocolate sculpture, "Is all of that actually made of chocolate?" To which we answer, "Why, of course!" We love the look in peoples' eyes as they scan over the forms attempting to see how everything has been attached. Chocolate, when used for sculpture, is both the materials and the glue holding it all together.
We also presented the crowd with a creation called the "Sweet Milk Chocolate Ganache Tartlett" - which is a sort of deconstructed version of our truffle (bearing the same name) resting on dark chocolate in a tart shell. We even created a dark chocolate tuille to top each one with - after they were all covered with strings of white chocolate. Those who stuck around also got to sample our Hottie, Champagne, and Lemon Souffle truffles that we revealed after all the tartletts were gone.
We would like to thank all the Epilepsy Foundation workers and volunteers who make this event so easy to participate in each year.

Easter is Sunday! Open Hours!

2010-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Double-butted Bunny ©2010!

2010-03-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Offering just a few of these this year, it's the first we've ever made! It's the DOUBLE-BUTTED EASTER BUNNY ©2010! Get 'em while they last! You don't have to worry about staring into those sad eyes while chompin' down on one of these!

Bird's Nests for Easter (w/ marzipan eggs!)

2010-03-31T10:27:00.000-07:00

So, here's the latest offering just for Easter: Bird's Nests with Marzipan Eggs! Get 'em while they're offered 'cause we'll only have 'em this week!

Palate 2 Palette VIP Lounge

2010-03-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we did some chocolate tarts and dipped strawberries this year for the Bubbles & Sweets VIP lounge at the Palate 2 Palette (benefit for the Craniofacial Foundation). The truffle tarts featured a little white chocolate tuille on top w/ sweet milk chocolate ganache filling w/ a touch of dark chocolate in the shell. And the strawberries were freshly dipped immediately before delivering to the event.

Open House for Easter!

2010-03-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

We will be open this week Tues.-Fri. 11am-6pm and Sat. 11am-5pm for Easter!
This year, Easter comes early! So Be Prepared!

St. Patrick Day Open Hours!

2010-03-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Open Hours!

2010-03-13T14:23:00.001-08:00

It's your lucky day(s)! We are open today (March 13th) until 5pm and then part of this coming week (Monday, March 15th - Wed 17th) for a St. Patrick's Open House! Our hours will be 11-6 Mon thru Wed! Come by and get an Irish Creme or Oatmeal Stout Truffle!

The White Chocolate Passion Fruit Truffle.

2010-02-09T21:16:00.001-08:00

Well, here's the newest addition to the fold; the White Chocolate Passion Fruit Truffle is a sweet bite if I do say so myself. The outer heart shaped shell is white chocolate with a gooey center made with pure passion fruit puree. This is the first in our line of truffles to get a custom airbrush gradient effect - done right here in-house!

If you ever wondered what a 30 box looked like...

2010-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a recent shipment that went out for a lucky someone... two of everything. You may notice there's a heart shape in there. It's the white chocolate Passion Fruit truffle we've just released (with a airbrush fade from orange to red done right here in the shop!)

Open Hours for Valentine's Day!

2010-02-07T18:33:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the delay... We took a slight break while re-stocking for Valentine's Day. We are also working on a new truffle! The White Chocolate Passion Fruit Truffle is sure to add a little zing! to your Valentine's Day!

Last Chance for Holiday Chocolate!

2009-12-23T23:55:00.000-08:00

Last Minute Holiday Shopping Hours!

2009-12-20T22:00:00.001-08:00

OPEN HOUSE FOR HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

Previous Article in the Hamilton County Herald.

2009-10-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

This article appeared back in March of 2009. I wanted to put it out there for posterity.

Ad in Blush Magazine

2009-10-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

We recently ran in ad in Blush magazine promoting our chocolate shapes and gift baskets for Halloween.

Another Short/Sweet writeup in the Paper.

2009-10-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

Wendy and I recently held a chocolate tasting at Shuptrine Fine Art Group/Gold Leaf Designs in Chattanooga, and a brief article popped up in the Times Free Press about it. You can see it in it's PDF form by downloading it here. We presented around 9 different "origin" chocolates for the visitors to learn about and taste. ("Origin" chocolate comes from a specific origin and reflects the local flavors of that area.)

I also wanted to say that if you want a really good caramel/chocolate coated LOCAL apple from Rainbow Hill Farm, then come to the Chattanooga Market on Sundays and pick one up. Here's a little something to get you salivating.

Pulse Magazine Feature on Local Innovators.

2009-08-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

We were among several new Chattanooga business start-ups featured a few months back (April 16-22, 2009 Vol. 6 - Issue 16) in The Pulse. On its cover you'll notice some of Young Monster's posters; and on the inside, you'll find a photo of us working in the kitchen with an article describing our business. We've uploaded a pdf of this so you may download it to peruse it at your leisure. Click here for the article. If you need Adobe Reader, it's found here.

Doubletree Hotel Gift Shop!

2009-08-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

We are currently stocking the gift shop of the Doubletree Hotel in downtown Chattanooga with goodness from our shop! Check the hotel's site for directions and hours.

She Expo Chocolate Sculpture Demonstration

2009-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

Our booth at the latest women's expo (called the "She Expo") was decked out in a couple of green leaves and contained a good assortment of various chocolate goods that we currently offer. It was a blast and a very nice turnout for us as we sold out of most items on the first day! We were up late in the kitchen on Saturday night, restocking for the next day.

Wendy (with the assistance of Pastry Chef Jennifer Dortch - soon to Jennifer Hooper - congrats!) assembled a chocolate sculpture during the latest expo at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center. As you can see they drew a crowd; all of which got a sampling of truffles afterward. Thanks so much to Jen for helping out at the demo and in our booth!

Ad featured in "She Expo" materials.

2009-07-21T18:13:00.000-07:00

This was the ad we put in a publication the Chattanooga Times Free Press put together for the She Expo with Stacy London and Paula Deen.

Trend Magazine Article

2009-07-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I have made a PDF of the recent Trend Magazine article for those of you who want to read up on The Hot Chocolatier. I've had several people asking about the article but live out of town and can't get their copy. Here's a version you can read for yourself. Click here; and if you don't have adobe reader, you should get it here. Enjoy!

The Hot Chocolatier will be at She (Expo for Women).

2009-07-07T23:44:00.001-07:00

Check this link to see about tickets for this event. It's slated to be a large draw for Paula Deen and Stacy London. The event is Saturday, July 11th & Sunday, July 12th, 2009 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. We'll be set up for both days and will be doing a chocolate sculpture demonstration! So, you'll have an opportunity to come by and purchase some fresh & locally made truffles to take home and enjoy as you recount your experiences at She!

Happy Father's Day Hours

2009-06-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

Events! Events! So many.

2009-06-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Well, we did the Bella Sera event on the north side of the Tennessee River. It started out so crazy (w/ Wendy getting a bit of the security guard's mace after he used it to deter a snake on its way to the sidewalk) and ended up crazier w/ people looking to us for wine (after they stopped serving) and getting a bit out of hand as a persistent few expected us to hand out lots of stuff for free (when it was a benefit for Chattanooga Endevors). All in all, we were able to explain a sampling of our flavors to a number of people who kept coming back for more. So, for a good cause; it was well worth it.
The other event was Champagne & Chocolates We donated some truffles (which were totally devoured and all gone by the time we came back to pick up our trays) and helped to raise some money for a good cause. We've had a few calls from this event as well!
The third event of the weekend was providing wedding favors for a couple of producers for one of the home makeover shows who were married here in Chattanooga. They were easy to work with and we wish them a long and happy marriage!
Finally, we capped off the weekend with the Chattanooga Market on Sunday before getting home and sacking out on the couch. We'll be at the market again this weekend and hope to see you all then!

Updated page on The Goodies!

2009-05-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hey, I've updated our webpage with all the products we're currently offering! It can be seen here. Check it out!

Hey, The Chattanooga Market! We're doing it!

2009-05-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

We are selling cold/frozen stuff (and if weather permits - some truffles) at the Chattanooga Market that is located off Main and on Carter Street. Here's some directions. We have a white tent and have been selling frozen bananas (dipped in peanuts, sprinkles, or toasted coconut), dipped strawberry kabobs (3 on a skewer - also rolled in toppings of your choice) and frozen chocolate beverages! It's been so fun to see all the stuff offered by area merchants and to be a part of the scene. There's music, food, art, and chances to meet other Chattanoogans (what a concept!). Look for our sign/logo hanging on our white tent and drop by. We'll be there for you (just like that awful song on "Friends").
Oh, and the Strawberry Festival is this weekend (5/17)!

Mother's Day is May 10th! Open Hours!

2009-04-29T21:24:00.001-07:00

JUST IN! Hot Sipping Chocolates from The Hot Chocolatier!

2009-04-28T21:25:00.001-07:00

We have finally packaged our two offerings of sipping chocolates: Original Dark and Hottie. The Original Dark presents a smooth, rich flavor when made with milk (following the directions on the label) and Hottie is blended with ancho, cayenne, and chipotle peppers for an added punch to the taste buds! Both sipping chocolates are far from a powdered mix you may have grown up with, but instead are actually tiny chunks of chocolate made specifically for melting into milk and enjoying any time of the year. We are extremely excited to add these to our current line of products. (Think of the Hottie sipping chocolate as the drinkable version of our truffle with the same name.)

Sarah Cannon (Minnie Pearl) Cancer Center Event 2009

2009-04-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

A recent event to raise money for the Sarah Cannon (a.k.a. Minnie Pearl) Cancer Centers brought us an opportunity to create 300+ chocolate hats (like those straw hats Minnie Pearl was known for wearing). Luckily, we had help from friends and family with packaging. After tying the last bow, we drove them across town to one of the Chattanoogan's ballrooms and placed them in cups on the tables. We also donated a gift basket for the auction. We anticipate another order soon and hope to heed the call.

The Chattanooga Market: starting Mother's Day, May 10th!

2009-04-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

We are currently planning to fill a booth at the Chattanooga Market soon! The market has already started, but we'll be joining in on Mother's Day. The problem (obviously) is outdoor conditions (heat, humidity, etc.). If you are at the market and get a chance; stop on by our booth and say hello! We start with our booth there on Sunday, May 10th. The Chattanooga Market is located inside The First Tennessee Pavilion at 1826 Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408. Parking is Free as is Admission! Come and support LOCAL producers!

Thanks!

2009-04-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

We just want to extend a thanks to everyone who continues to spread the word that we are here and producing chocolates in Chattanooga! Please post any comments or email us if you hear about any upcoming events you think we should participate in. If you know of any used kitchen equipment or display counters that needs a home, please let us know. Thanks for spending some time with our website and blog!

Chocolate Fling Event 2009

2009-04-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday (26th of April, 2009) we participated in the Epilepsy Foundation's Chocolate Fling at the Bessie Smith Hall downtown. They held a silent auction and had plenty of chocolate provided by area restaurants, patisseries and chocolatiers. We walked away with an award for the most creative presentation. (I believe it was a sculpture with our logo that took home the prize for us.) We plan to participate again next year as we had a blast!

Palate 2 Palette Event

2009-04-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

On April 4th, 2009, we did an benefit event called Palate 2 Palette for the Craniofacial Foundation of America and worked alongside Mercatino to provide sweets for the dessert side of the event. If you check the linked website, you'll see that the event had a savory and a sweet side to it. The sweet side is known as "Bubbles and Sweets" as champagne and desserts are served. So, we provided 3 sculptures and TONS of champagne truffles (we managed to hit both in one bite). Enjoy the photos of sculptures and truffles. The small pastries are Mercatino's and the floral arrangement is courtesy of Jeffrey's Flowers.

We were on "This N That" today and Mother's Day is May 10th!

2009-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

At 12:30pm today, we were on "This N That" with Don Welch. He interviewed us about our chocolates, how we started, and asked about our upcoming events. See the link here. We were followed by Mickey McCamish; the spokesperson for this weekend's Epilepsy Foundation's Chocolate Lover's Fling. It's a benefit event at The Bessie Smith Hall on April 26th. We will be presenting one of our signature truffles (won't tell you which one until afterward) in the contest. See you there! Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Click here for info.
Also, I'd like to remind everyone that Mother's Day is May 10th and we will be shipping items up until May 5th. So, get your order in early and make your Mama proud!

Easter is April 12th! / OPEN hours!

2009-04-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Chattanooga Made at Hamilton Place Mall...

2009-03-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot of Wendy talking a customer through our line of products at Chattanooga Made 2009 (sponsored by The Chattanooga Manufacturing Association) at THE MALL! She and the chocolate samples had a run-in with a group of kids (on a field trip?) which led to a clean-up by mall custodians. I can only imagine what mall shoppers must've thought upon hearing, "Chocolate clean-up next to Victoria Secret please."

Easter is Just a Hop, Skip, and a Jump away!

2009-03-24T16:39:00.001-07:00

Okay, corny heading - I know. But we are working on some bunnies and putting together baskets for anyone looking for something other than a load of cheap plastic toys and waxy tasting chocolate in a basket filled with some fake grass. Keep posted for some images. For now, check out this bunny. I found it here
.

The Business Expo (March 18th, 2009)

2009-03-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Well, We did it. We were there at the Business Expo among all the major players (VW, Dunkin' Donuts, Little Debbie, et al.), and we came out with 2nd prize for our booth! They announced it during the awards luncheon, and we returned to our booth to an empty sample tray. So, it seems word spread quickly! We did have a couple trade show warm-ups (The Formal Affair and Chattanooga Made) before this one, but it still came as a surprise as most businesses had a lot more elaborate set-ups than we did... I hope they judged our booth by the amount of products we had displayed as well as the two chocolate sculptures seen in the background. These shows are fun, but can wear a person out!

St. Patrick's Day Open Hours!

2009-03-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Some Events!

2009-03-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

Well, This Friday (March 13th) we will have a booth at Hamilton Place Mall for the day. While we are not able to sell things, we will be offering some samples of dipped fruit and pretzels and showing off some chocolate sculptures.

Also, we will be taking part of the Business Expo at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center on March 18th (a Wednesday). We will be handing out info about our various products and services and networking like no one's business. We will (once again) be offering up some samples of various chocolate dipped fruits and pretzels.

Hope to see you at one of these events!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! WEB UPDATE.

2009-03-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well, when we can take the time to step away from the kitchen, we've been taking some photos of our products and readying them for the web. Add a bit of HTML and a touch of patience and you end up with a visual menu. It's still being added to, but you'll get the gist if you go to it.
CLICK HERE to see what I'm talking about.

Also, we have four new truffles just for St. Paddy's Day:
Irish Creme, Mint, Cinnamon Pistachio, and The Extra Stout (Guinness).
Keep Posted for Special "Open Hour" times (as for now it's looking like the Monday March 16th and Tues 17th 11-1pm!

OPEN FOR VALENTINE'S DAY!

2009-02-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hey! We have a Goodies Page now!

2009-02-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

There's a menu up on the site now! And we can take credit cards... we aren't able to process over the website still (we will soon! i promise). You are able to see what we currently offer. Some things to come: The Conglomeration, Various Hot Chocolate Mixes, and our own Chocolate Bars! Check it out!

Working on the Menu and Buy Online page.

2009-02-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

We now accept all major credit cards! We are working to get the online purchase section squared away. For now we will have a menu posted on the "goodies" portion of the site (with photos of our truffles posted soon!). Please check in periodically to look for updates!
This photo was taken by newspaper photographer Tim Barber and appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press 'Business' section here. Thanks to Anne Braly for coming out and interviewing us to spread the word.

Thanks to Everyone for the Great Grand Opening!

2009-02-02T21:05:00.001-08:00

Well, it happened... we were able to blow the roof off of our space here thanks to everyone who showed up for the grand opening. We've heard several people say that it was one of the biggest they've seen in years! Whoo Hoo!
I suppose neither of us realized we would be giving a speech, so we were taken off guard. Wendy mentioned some thanks to a few, but we want to be sure to give the biggest thanks to the Chattanooga Opportunity Fund as they've helped us to fund this venture. Thanks to Elijah Cameron and Pete Palmer for all you've both done for us! Also, we'd like to thank Micah and Amber Kerby, Alice and Don Guider, and Linda and Scott Buckner for all the hard work before and during the reception. Jennifer Dortch and Mary-Beth Sanders also contributed to making this thing happen. So a big THANK YOU! goes out to you all. We are so blessed to have such helpful friends and family. Thanks also goes to Cameron Adams who snapped a great shot of the ribbon being cut and for sending/posting it so promptly to facebook.
We'll be gearing up for Valentine's Day and will soon have the online menu ready!
Thanks, Thanks, and more Thanks!