With Valentine's Day this weekend, Bloomington’s chocolate shops are preparing for those looking to buy a gift for their partner, family, friends or to treat themselves.
With over 20 different flavors made specifically for the holiday, Blu Boy Chocolate, located on Kirkwood Avenue, features Valentine’s boxes ranging in sizes of five to 20 assorted handmade chocolates, according to the Blu Boy Chocolate website.
“Our best-selling product, which pretty much goes in every Valentine’s Day box is the salted caramel chocolate,” barista Emilyann Long said.
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Blu Boy Chocolate will offer a strawberry and ice wine vinegar chocolate, which is made only around Valentine’s Day, and other desserts, including cake, cheese cake, brownies, macarons, crème brûlée, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.
Although the pandemic presented its challenges to Blu Boy Chocolate, with a nine-month closure lasting from mid-March to late-November, holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day have helped the store get back on track, Long said.
The store offers online ordering and shipping services, she said.
“We've been super busy packaging online orders,” Long said. “In the past we’ve sent out chocolates to states like California, Utah and Texas.”
Similar remote delivery methods are being used by the Bloomington Chocolate Company, located within the Olive Leaf on East Third Street. The store will sell sets of 13 handmade truffles in a variety of heart shape boxes according to the Bloomington Chocolate Company website.
“About 95% of our business during quarantine was curbside pickup,” Bloomington Chocolate Company owner Linda Armes said. “But that has shifted now that people have gotten used to wearing their masks and going out.”
Sugar and Spice in the Indiana Memorial Union will also offer various Valentine’s desserts including chocolate covered strawberries, iced sugar cookies and cupcakes.
These items will be available for pick up at the IMU or for delivery on campus with a $5 dollar fee, according to the Sugar and Spice Bakery page on Indiana University Catering’s website.
“We are preparing for a good amount of business for Valentines Day this year,” Armes said. “People just want to treat the people they love.”
