140-year old Italian chocolatier ups its move into the U.S.
In the late 19th Century, Silviano Venchi spent his life savings s on two bronze cauldrons to experiment with new uses for chocolate. Today, more than 175 Venchi ChocoGelaterias span the globe, though just half a dozen can be found in the United States, mostly in the New York Metro.
That’s about to change.
The chocolatier famed for its 90 gelato flavors and 350 chocolate recipes has set out on a U.S. expansion and will open six of its chocolate “boutiques” in malls across the country by the end of the year, giving it a total of 15 nationwide.
Three of the boutiques will be at Simon properties: The Westchester in White Plains N.Y., King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pa, and Town Center at Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Fla.
The other three will be in these Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield malls: Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J, Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, Calif., and Westfield UTC in San Diego.
The Westfield Valley Fair location will feature what is probably Venchi’s most talked-about creation, the “Chocolate Waterfall” wall, currently only on display in the U.S. at Venchi’s flagship boutique in New York.
“We are delighted with how our customers have responded across the communities we now serve and are very proud to partner with both Simon Properties and Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, who have placed us in their top mall locations across the U.S.,” said Venchi’s chief commercial officer Mark Ellis.
The new ChocoGelaterias will feature signature Venchi creations such as Chocoviar, Gianduiotti, and Cremini. Also on the menu are gelato and Gelatoshakes, plus crepes made with Venchi’s hazelnut chocolate spread dispensed from a chocolate fountain.
Westfield Valley Fair will be the only new location with a Chocolate Waterfall wall. The one in its Union Square shop in New York is 10 feet high and 45 feet long.
Venchi claims that its offerings are natural with no coloring agents, preservatives, or palm oils. Noble fats such as olive oil and cocoa butter are used instead. It also claims that its products are all gluten-free.