Hank Vaughn
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After more than a decade of creating beautiful chocolates, Kate Weiser Chocolate announced it will close its doors.
Kate Weiser opened in 2014 and quickly gained wide popularity and acclaim for its modern, vibrant, hand-painted chocolates. Gift sets were classy, thoughtful and indulgent. You might know the company for its often-replicated Carl the Snowman, double-stacked chocolate globes that melt into hot cocoa. Last year, Oprah Winfrey anointed the four-pack to her Favorite Things list. The shop was a repeated winner of the Observer’s Best Chocolate category.
In an interview with the Observer just days after opening in 2014, Weiser said business was “more than crazy” with 18-hour days, but that it was fun “because it’s all mine.” She considered the business her baby. Weiser attended culinary school right out of high school and worked as a pastry chef before landing a job at Chocolate Secrets, where she developed her skill for painted chocolates.
By our count, Kate Weiser Chocolate was the longest-lasting store at Trinity Groves, a retail complex just west of downtown Dallas.
They also have a retail store at NorthPark.
Why the Closure
In a Facebook post, Weiser said that she and her financial partners decided to close, adding that while it’s not the outcome she had hoped for, she is deeply proud of what they created and the lessons, relationships and experiences that came with it.
She writes that she “has taken steps alongside some of my incredible customers to secure jobs for my team.”
In the same post, she offered a little insight into the reasons behind the closure:
“Our business is highly seasonal, labor-intensive and over the last few years has required a heavy financial lift to continue operating.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, cocoa prices (the main ingredient in chocolate) soared in 2024 and only returned to historical norms last month. The three-year high run was due to weather and crop disease. Even with the recent relief in cocoa prices, we’ve reported extensively on the rising costs for all sectors of the food industry, from supplies and labor to rent.
One Last Run for Carl
Both stores (Trinity Groves and NorthPark) will remain open until every last bite of chocolate is sold. And, Carl the Snowman gets one more show:
Kate Weiser Chocolate Facebook
