Hotel Chocolat might sound like Willy Wonka’s
vacation resort of choice, but don’t jump to conclusions from the name. We’re
not talking about some kind of Hershey’s hostel, but rather, a luxury
chocolatier set to open right here in our own little Bean. In five years, the
UK-based brand has ballooned to 32 retail locations across the pond. It even
grows its own cocoa at its Caribbean plantation, the Rabot Estate, where its
policy of “Engaged Ethics” protects the local environment and workers. And now
it has chosen the Hub for its first two stateside stores — one at 141A Newbury
Street (near the Dartmouth Street intersection) opening in late September and a
second opening later this year at the Mall at Chestnut Hill. These stores will
also debut a new look for the chain — a sleek black-and-white motif conceived
by designer Terry Moore — and the Newbury location has a tasting room for
chocolate sampling. If you can’t wait to taste these truffles, check out the
selection at
www.hotelchocolat.com. Our taste buds are ecstatic, even if our
waistlines tremble with fear.
