by: David Polinchock
I know that Mars is getting a lot of attention for what they’ve done at Skittles.com, but in NY, they’ve also opened up a high end chocolate store in the West Village to tell a different story about chocolate.
Look what OZOLife had to say about the new store at Mars Attacks / Daily Food / OZOlife.
When it comes to chocolate, we will take it any way it comes – bars, barks, disks, nibs, liquefied. The fact that we do not discriminate has kept big candy in business for years. But just as we started retreating from the processed treats (because we realized candy wasn’t supposed to be waxy and taste like plastic), Mars Snackfood – makers of the barely-natural Skittles and Snickers candies – pulled us back in with a new chain of all-natural chocolate cafés called Pure Dark. The first one recently opened on New York’s Bleecker Street and another is slated for Ohio. The cafés pair different forms of dark chocolate with a variety of seasonings, nuts, candies, and fruits. And, while we’re not fans of the Mars thing, we have to admit the chocolates are delish. Whether this is pure heaven or pure evil will have to depend on the chocoholic.
I’ve been to the store several times and it’s really well done. And yes, it’s damn good chocolate, although I wasn’t crazy about some of the spice/chocolate combinations. I did find it interesting that there’s no Mars branding anywhere in the store, you have to look at the tiny print information on the package to realize that it’s being done by a large, candy company.
The staff there knows their chocolate and they do try to educate people about chocolate. Lots of opportunities to sample and to make your own combinations. And, although I haven’t seen anything about it yet, I hope that they will use the space to create more social events as well. I’m still surprised at the number of companies willing to play with social media, but not willing to play with social experiences in their physical locations.
At Pure DarkTM, it’s all about the purity of the pod. This is the delicious, raw essence of dark chocolate: the precious fruit of the cacao tree at its simple, natural best.
The Pure DarkTM collection is chock–full of robust ingredients harvested straight from nature: thick, hand–crafted Slabs, Barks studded with plump, dried fruits and crunchy nuts, Rounds dusted with exotic flavors, and lightly roasted cocoa bean Nibs all deliver an authentic, earthy chocolate experience.
It’s potent, natural, elemental perfection: Pure DarkTM.
Pure Dark(TM) – Chocolate Harvested From Nature.
Original Post: http://blog.brandexperiencelab.org/experience_manifesto/2009/03/pure-darktm-chocolate-harvested-from-nature.html
