Chocolate cafés in Canada
Mink Cafes retail the entire line of exquisite, handcrafted ganache filled chocolate bars by Vancouver-based artisanal chocolate company Mink Chocolates Inc, and serve masterfully prepared coffees, chocolate drinks and chocolate fondues. The first store, opened in the spring of 2007, is located in the heart of the financial district in downtown Vancouver, facing onto a park that was created when Canada Place was developed for Expo 86. With no vehicular traffic in front of this store, it boasts one of the best patios in the city. We spoke to Marc Lieberman President & Founder Mink Chocolates Inc, about the cafés.
IFEA: What inspired the starting of Mink’s Chocolate Cafés?
Marc:
I was always the kid with his hand in the candy dish and in my family, my sweet tooth is legendary. However, as I grew older, I transitioned away from chocolate just for chocolate’s sake, and started tasting and understanding fine chocolate, especially dark chocolate not only for the perceived health benefits of antioxidants and flavonoids found in high percentage dark chocolate, but for the flavour profiles inherent in craft chocolate.
I had just sold a successful small chain of quick service restaurants in Vancouver, and was looking for a new opportunity. My sister introduced me to a concept in Japan, thinking I could secure the rights for Canada. Language barriers and time zone differences made the pursuit of that opportunity onerous. The lightbulb moment came, like it does to all entrepreneurs, when I thought I could just do it myself, and do it better.
When it came time to decide how I was going to retail my chocolate, I decided that a hybrid cafe and retail chocolate shop would best suit my brand intention. On the retail side, I would showcase my entire line of hand crafted small batch chocolate bars and bonbons, and on the cafe side I would offer a full range of hot chocolate and drinking chocolate, as well as chocolate fondue, Belgian waffles with chocolate, and of course coffee. Pairing a small piece of chocolate with every beverage was designed to drive chocolate sales and introduce people to high end chocolate, something that the Vancouver market was lacking at the time.
IFEA: What is the role of company- owned cafés in retail and brand building?
Marc: The cafe creates exposure to the complete line of Mink chocolates, and serves to showcase our range exclusively without having to compete for shelf space with other brands which ultimately doesn’t allow us to tell our story amidst all that clutter.
IFEA: What are the top chocolates of Mink and why are they the signature products?
Marc: Mink makes more hand filled ganache chocolate bars than any other company that we are aware of, anywhere. Although most chocolatiers produce extensive ranges of bonbons and truffles with ganache fillings, we’ve always showcased those unique flavours and fillings in chocolate bar or tablet form. This is a more portable way to indulge in unique flavours in a wrapped and packaged serving size that allows for a greater customer satisfaction.
Our top selling chocolate bars are Mermaid’s Choice (burnt caramel, fleur de sel and a hint of rosemary), Greetings from Canada (caramelized pecans in a maple syrup ganache), Taj Masala (cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, clove, ginger & turmeric).
Our top selling confections are the pecan caramel Troodles, and our top selling packaged chocolate beverage to make at home is our Super Freeze Dried Drinking Chocolate which also is our cafes top selling signature beverage.
IFEA: What distinguishes Mink from other chocolate brands?
Marc: Long ago it was decided that we won’t be everything to everybody, and we would specialize in hand filled ganache chocolate bars. No other brand has as extensive a range of flavours and fillings as Mink
IFEA:!Special features of the cafés?
Marc: All our cafes serve coffee drinks inspired by the salons of Paris and Venice. They are a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city, a place for conversation and discourse. No trip to our cafes would be complete without a chocolate fondue tasting, or our legendary S’mores, the campfire experience of roasting marshmallows on an open flame, and sandwiching that between Graham wafers and warm chocolate ganache.
IFEA: How do you develop your gifting range ?
Marc: I don’t pay particular attention to trends. I rely on common sense (and my wife’s input) for the direction the brand goes.
As far as gifting is concerned, a higher end product like ours is focused on smaller portions but luxurious yet not wasteful packaging. I’ve never believed in quantity over quality in any aspect of my life, and certainly chocolate is no exception. There are still four main areas we focus on for holiday gifting – Christmas, Valentines, Easter and Mothers Day. We also pay particular attention to the gifting opportunities that come when people want to acknowledge someone’s special event or achievement, a milestone date, a thank you of special importance or job well done, or not arriving empty handed to an event.
Chocolate hearts and chocolate lips are big for valentines.
IFEA: Which are your upcoming stores and projects?
We’ll be expanding our retail footprint in the coming few years, as we’re primed to open in some of the most prestigious new developments in Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby.
There is also interest in expanding our retail footprint into Washington State.
Most importantly, our most consuming project on any given day is continuing to craft award winning chocolate, cultivating a culture of respect and innovation.
