There are hundreds of businesses along the Indianapolis Cultural Trail that have helped transform our downtown, including The Best Chocolate in Town, a gourmet chocolate shop that has been satisfying Indy’s sweet tooth since 1998. Caramels, cookies, truffles, and pies are among some of the most coveted options on the menu. And even sweeter than their treats is their loyalty to other local businesses that they support by selling their products in store.
Next time you stop by, check out the Cultural Trail Mix – $1 of each bag purchased is donated back to our organization!
Tell us about your business.
We hand-make fine chocolates and desserts. Our specialty is truffles, but we make marvelous caramels, pecan turtles, toffee, and other dipped goodies. We also make 8 varieties of truffle pie. Our newest desserts are our line of cookies! Lick Ice Cream provides us with the ice cream we sell and Gelato Da Vinci makes our gelato.
What motivated you to start your business?
I started my business about a year and a half out of college. I had been selling it during the holidays for about 3 years, just to make a little extra money. I enjoyed everything about it and thought about doing it full time. So I created a business and plan and just did it. I know, that makes it sound so easy. It’s had its ups and downs, but mostly ups.
What’s the story behind the name “The Best Chocolate in Town?”
I first started the company as a wholesale (B2B) company. Marketing on a small budget was a tough task. The name “The Best Chocolate in Town” made the product “local” no matter what town or city it was being sold in. So part of the thought was I could encourage gift basket companies or coffee shops to sell my product because it had a fun name that also worked as a marketing tool. It’s a conversation starter as well as a positive promotion of the chocolates themselves.
What has being on the Cultural Trial done for your business?
Locating my business along the Cultural Trail has been wonderful for my business. It makes it feel connected to an area that is part of people’s lives, whether it be their routine or just part of an afternoon run or walk. We are along that path. I feel the Trail also encouraged other businesses to plant roots around it, which helps create a cluster of businesses to visit, which helps all of our businesses.
What is your favorite thing about Indianapolis?
I love the idea of being able to follow this path that takes you 8 miles through the city! I also love the plants and beautification around the trail. A little green goes a long way for me. I love nature, and that’s hard to come by in the city. So the trees and plants along the trail add to the atmosphere when you’re walking along it.
What does “community” mean to you?
Community means a lot of different things to me. In the case of the Cultural Trail, I feel like community for me means not only a physical grouping or closeness of buildings or people in an area but also where there is a sense of like-mindedness of an idea or way of being. I feel like the community of Trail supporters is one of those that value walk-ability, bike-ability, safe non-vehicle travel and the outdoors. The Cultural Trail creates a sense of commonality that runs through very different parts of the downtown area, connecting the areas to create a community.
The next time you have a craving for something sweet, you know where to go! Also, be sure to check out the extra special Indianapolis Cultural Trail Trail Mix on sale inside! The Best Chocolate in Town is located at 880 Massachusetts Ave.