OAKWOOD CHOCOLATE SHOP OPENS STORE IN CHICAGO
Madame Delluc looking for ‘premiere’ locations, co-founder says.
Oakwood chocolate shop Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier opened its second retail location this week and is planning further expansion.
The shop — which sells chocolates from the historic and highly acclaimed Brussels, Belgium-based chocolatier named “Mary” — opened a shop Thursday in the 900 North Michigan Shops retail center at 900 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago.
“We felt we were ready to branch out into a major market,” Madame Delluc co-founder Francoise Walusis told this news outlet Friday. “Our top three options were Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, 5th Avenue in New York City, and on North Michigan Avenue (Chicago).
“We were looking for one of the premiere shopping districts in a major market in the U.S. We chose Chicago for two reasons: It made the most sense geographically because it’s close and because we have a large customer base in Chicago, based on our online sales.”
Walusis said there are plans to open additional shops, with the next one coming to either New York or Los Angeles.
“We don’t have any plans to expand into any other small or mid-market cities. From here on, it will be major markets. Oakwood will always be our headquarters/flagship location, because the Dayton area is home for us. Oakwood will also always be the first location to get new products and packaging.”
The new store is expected to boost online sales, which are fulfilled from the store at 2510 Far Hills Ave.
The Mary Chocolatier has been making chocolates for 99 years. Last year, CNN named Mary as one of the “15 Happiest Places in the World.” And in 2016, A Mary chocolate bar was lauded as one of the nine “Best Chocolates in the World” by a Conde Nast writer.
Francoise Walusis is a native of Belgium who came to Ohio more than two decades ago to attend Wittenberg University.