Kakao Chocolate

Kakao Chocolate is a confectioner in Maplewood, MO, where everything is made from scratch in small batches with all-natural ingredients and no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or sweeteners. Visitors can buy single treats, assortments of truffles and caramels, or baskets of unique confections directly from the shop or online. The business emphasizes hand-dipping confections to ensure higher quality noticed with the first bite.

The business is located at 7272 Manchester Road in Maplewood, MO, and operates two stores with a team of 20 employees. It has been in operation since 2008, growing from a windowless basement to its current size. The owner, Brian Pelletier, spent 20 years in business marketing before discovering his passion for making chocolate confections.

Customers can order by visiting the shop at 7272 Manchester Road or by using the user-friendly website to find and order chocolates online. The ordering process is described as seamless and effortless by recent reviewers. The website allows users to shop for specific items like award-winning truffles or magical caramels.

The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 12 PM to 6 PM, and Saturday through Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM. These hours apply to the Maplewood location where customers can walk in to see confectioners making marshmallows and dipping truffles by hand. The website also facilitates online ordering outside of these physical hours.

Reviewers consistently praise the exquisite taste, rich flavors, and impressive variety of the chocolates. Many also highlight the user-friendly website and top-notch customer service as key positive aspects. The overall Trustburn rating is 4 out of 5 based on 9 reviews spanning from late 2022 to October 2023.

The business has won numerous awards including Best Chocolate in St. Louis since 2008. Specific accolades include the Good Food Awards for the Lavender Truffle in 2014, Turkish Coffee Truffle in 2015, and Norton Pates de Vin in 2017. They also received awards for the Raspberry Goat Cheese Truffle in 2019 and various Clean Plate Pantry items in 2021 and 2022.

Kakao Chocolate offers unique products such as marshmallow pies featuring vanilla bean marshmallows, chocolate, and Missouri pecans. They also sell bacon pecan brittle named 'the big squeal' and savory Clean Plate Pantry Sauces like Mole Paste and Thai Red Curry. The caramel is cooked to a specific temperature to achieve a texture that is neither too gooey nor too chewy.

The website states that the confectioners make marshmallows, dip the truffles, and stir the caramel all by hand right in front of customers. This transparency allows visitors to see the process rather than seeing conveyor belts feeding chocolate into a machine. The hand-dipping process is cited as a reason for the higher quality.

The business sells gift cards and offers assortments of truffles and caramels suitable for gifts. The website encourages buying a single treat or a basket bursting with unique confections for oneself or someone else. The variety is described as impressive by multiple reviewers.

The business operates under the name Kakao Chocolate and uses the domain kakaochocolate.com. The website was designed by EngageTaste. The contact information provided is a single business phone number and a physical address in Maplewood, MO.

The Trustburn listing shows a 4 out of 5 rating from 9 reviews, with the most recent being from October 2023. The reviews range from 3 to 5 stars, with the majority being 4 or 5 stars. The feedback is recent enough to reflect current customer satisfaction levels.

The business is located in Maplewood, MO, which is near St. Louis, as indicated by the 'Best Chocolate in St. Louis' awards. The address 7272 Manchester Road is the specific location for the Maplewood store. The proximity to St. Louis is implied by the regional awards and chamber of commerce membership.