Chocopolis Offers Free Sample
and Service With A Smile

The owners of Chocopolis believe that customers should not only enjoy their fresh Belgian chocolate but also experience other chocolate from Belgium and other European countries. With two locations near the Grand Place and one in Louvain, Chocopolis attracts customers by offering a chocolate smorgasbord of products. But they keep customers by going the extra mile in customer service.

"We don't want to be the biggest," said co-owner Antony Baetens. "But we do want to be the best."

Chocopolis works to be the best by offering fresh quality products made in their Duffao factory as well as by offering travel-friendly products from companies in Belgium, France, Switzerland and Italy. All are sold by warm and friendly counter clerks, trained with an eye for customer service.

Making Chocolate For 45 Years
While Antony handles the business management, chocolatier Emile Robbarechts, who has some 45 years of experience with chocolate, oversees production. In addition to keeping their three shops supplied with chocolate, the company delivers products to 200 Belgian bakeries from its production facility.

"We work with the highest quality fresh products," said Anthony. "We accept no colorings, no added fats - just 100% cocoa butter."

Anthony explains that some companies add other fats to double quantity. And while the European Union declared that you can call a product 'chocolate' even though you add three to five percent of other fats, that is not the Belgian way. "True Belgian chocolate contains only 100% cocoa butter."

In fact, high quality chocolate sends a saturation signal to the brain after only eating a few pieces. You've had enough and your brain knows it. But cheap products don't send that signal and you don't stop eating. So it's actually better for you to eat high-quality chocolate! But who needed an excuse?

Offering the Best of Belgium and Beyond
Not only does this shop sell its own brand of fresh Belgian chocolate (including its luscious King Albert caramel pralines), it also offers other brands of Belgian and European chocolate:

Italian: Carferrel invented high-quality gianduja, a hazlenut and almond paste.

French: "Valrohna is my favorite French chocolate," says Anthony. "They elaborate the conching process longer. I think it's better than Belgian chocolate."

Switzerland: Like the Belgians, the Swiss are also known for their chocolate. One of their most recognizable products is the Tobblerone triangular block bars in milk, dark and white - with bits of nougat.

Belgium: "We like the Cafe Tasse brand of chocolate made in Belgium as well as their attractive packaging. New Tree makes a health statement with their chocolate. And Cote d'Or, one of the mainstays of Belgian chocolate, is investing in new products such as their premium 'Sensation' brand.

Service With A Smile
Customer service is a Chocopolis value that is as important as offering quality chocolate. When you enter one of its three shops, you'll be greeted with a warm smile. "We want our employees to be happy when customers come in," he said.

And they want their customers to be happy too. So they offer a free chocolate sample to each customer. "I'm convinced about the quality of our chocolate, but why should you trust us if you don't know us? So we offer a free sample to each customer to help them decide what to buy."

If you happen to be shopping on a warm day, you'll receive a free cooler bag to keep your chocolate from melting. Wihtout such a bag, your chocolate will melt in 10 minutes on a 35-degree day. The cooler bags keep chocolate for five hours.

A new service Chocopolis offers customers are demonstrations in their flagship shop located next to the Novatel hotel. The 10-minute demonstrations cover the making of pralines and tablets. Future plans include featuring demonstrations by famous chocolatiers.

The Brussels-Belgium-Travel-Guide recommends a visit to Chocopolis. If you're looking to take a variety of European chocolate home, then it offers a wide range of choices, a free sample, and a friendly smile.

Return from Chocopolis
to Brussels-Belgium-Travel-Guide.com Homepage