New Retail Store To Bring Authenticity & Creativity to Ventura Harbor Village
VENTURA, Calif. – In a celebration of the senses, Top This Chocolate (topthischocolate.com) hosts its Grand Opening on Saturday, October 12, 2019 just in time for the festive holidays ahead. Owner/entrepreneur Shana Elson will take tastebuds to a new level with an unique experiential attraction when she opens her first retail store in Ventura Harbor Village.
Elson is pulling out all the stops to provide the ultimate chocolate experience. The retail store will provide chocolate lovers with the opportunity to choose from delicious premium milk, white or dark liquid chocolate from California and top it with a selection of more than 40 toppings, including nuts, dried fruit, candy, cookies, salty snacks and seasonal options. Connoisseurs can witness right before their eyes liquid chocolate pouring from chocolate machines. Each creation can be made into sumptuous chocolate bars, squares or hearts and will be ready in less than TEN minutes.
“The Ventura Port District was excited to partner with Elson to transform the retail space into a modern, yet distinctly artisan chocolate making experience, “ stated Brian Pendleton, General Manager. “ We look forward to Elson sharing her innovative culinary passion with both chocolate enthusiasts and Village customers for years to come.”
According to the head chocologist, the luscious premium chocolate is made with 100% cocoa butter, is Fair Trade Certified, made with no chemicals or partially hydrogenated substitutes, is non-GMO and is gluten free. The coffee she serves is from Brazuka Coffee Roasters right in Ventura! The retail store will also allow customers to experience hands-on chocolate making classes. The chocolate will range in price from $4 to $27.
Elson was uninspired by her day job as a litigator and bored with the options for her nightly chocolate fix. The lack of variety led her to innovate at home, experimenting with bold new topping combinations like coconut, banana chips and spicy mango. Since she was already taking pastry and chocolatier classes on the weekends, she knew how to make her own concoctions and realized there was a lack of premium chocolate and a need for customization so Top This Chocolate was born. Elson quite her job and attended USC Marshall School of Business to combine her confectionery expertise with real world business savvy. While at USC, she won $25,000 in seed money in the Women’s New Venture Pitch Competition. With the vote of confidence and the money, she decided to open Top This Chocolate. Now, she’s fulfilling her cravings and her dreams by bringing handmade tailored chocolate to the masses from her kitchen at Ventura Harbor Village.