The Chocolate delivers a sweet treat for a sweet price.
This dessert cafe is located in a quaint house in Orem, creating a roomy, chic atmosphere that is both inviting and relaxing. The decorations include real wild flowers on each table, bright-colored walls and stylish lamps and drapes that influence the trendy feel of the cafe.
Owner Ange Christiansen said she first started the cafe in her basement with her husband. They then moved into a cupcake cart in the mall until finally discovering the location wanted for The Chocolate.
“We started small because I always wanted it to be a place where people could go and hang out and get a bite of cake,” Christiansen said.
The Chocolate offers a variety of desserts including cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies and hot chocolate. The real crowd pleaser is the “cazookie,” a large hot cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. Christiansen said all desserts are homemade and stem from a long-time love of baking.
“I come from a family of bakers; it’s in my blood,” Christiansen said. “We work really hard on all of our recipes.”
The Chocolate has been expanded three times and now seats around 90 people. The cafe also opened a second location in West Jordan, and Christiansen said both establishments are booming.
Over the years, The Chocolate has thrived in a college town, and Christiansen attributes the success to the atmosphere of the cafe and the pricing and taste of the desserts.
“I think it speaks to college students because it’s a great place to go on a first date,” Christiansen said. “We always say, ‘Don’t drop a ton of money on somebody else’s wife.'”
Angela Sobkowicz, a BYU law student from Alberta said she goes to The Chocolate all the time because of the combination of atmosphere and taste.
“My favorite thing is the ambience,” Sobkowicz said. “It’s like the perfect date spot because they have these individual rooms so you can get away from everyone else and chat with your date.”
The red velvet cake and the “cazookie” are to die for, Sobkowicz said. Those two favorites and the late-night hours keep her coming back for more.
“It’s delicious desserts for not a lot of money,” Sobkowicz said. “The hours are ideal because it’s open a bit later than other hang-out places.”
Prices range from $1 for a cookie to over $52 for signature cakes. The Chocolate caters events and weddings and even makes specialty wedding cakes.
Garrett Nagaishi, a history major from Los Angeles, said he and his wife go there often because the scene is fun and the food is great.
“They have a lot of good things that are affordable,” Nagaishi said. “I got cupcakes for my wedding there, and I was quite happy with them.”
The Chocolate is located at 212 S. State and is open Monday–Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
