jcoco Introduces A Flavorful New Way To Do Retail

Today, Seattle Chocolate Company opened the doors to its first standalone retail location, officially debuting a fresh take on the shopping experience for chocolate lovers and savvy gift buyers alike. The colorful pop-up brick and mortar immerses guests in the company's flavorful and stylish jcoco line with an exclusive array of chocolate, fashionable gift items, accessories and home decor. Additionally, the shop will undergo three complete transformations during its seven-month run in The Bellevue Collection, each with its own color palette, in-store offerings and special events.

"Our jcoco pop-up shop is so much more than just another chocolate shop and we designed it that way deliberately," shares Seattle Chocolate Company owner and CEO Jean Thompson (the "j" in jcoco). "We wanted our guests to taste, touch, explore and fully engage with our brand and its vision, so we created a shop that offers a hands-on, treasure hunt-like experience for retail lovers and chocolate enthusiasts."

The first of the trio of branded experiences at the jcoco pop-up was inspired by the vanuatu coconut pecan bar. Outfitted in vibrant cyan blue tempered with copper accents and natural woods, the shop embodies a tropical oasis and transports guests to this bar's point of origin, the Vanuatu Islands. Shots of warm vanuatu milk chocolate and oversized bowls of cocoa nibs, whole pecans and dried coconut offer a delicious deconstruction of the ingredients in this popular bar, designed to be enjoyed while browsing a carefully curated selection of American couture chocolate and gift items. From copper bangles that mirror the bar's foil wrapping to turquoise flip flops, jeweled accessories and elegant table settings, everything on hand was selected to engage guests' senses and underscore the look and feel of the isles. Pop-up purchases will also contribute to the brand's "jcoco gives" program, providing a fresh serving of food to an American in need for every bar sold.

The shop will later "flip" to an energetic orange with a south-of-the-border feel inspired by the cayenne veracruz orange bar and a festive red in honor of jcoco's seasonal holiday bar. Each version of the shop will offer a tactile taste experience and, just like the first installment, carry a meticulously hand-selected offering of retail items inspired by each bar's point of origin and colorful packaging. All the decor and staging items used for each design stage will be available for purchase as the shop prepares for its next transformation.

"The jcoco brand was created with a very distinct vision," notes Peter Stocker of MG2 (formerly Mulvanny G2 Architecture), the creative mind responsible for the design behind the jcoco pop-up shop. "From the give-back with each bar sold, to the fashion-forward look and feel of the packaging, everything about this brand has been built from the ground up to stand out and I wanted this retail experience to do the same."

"This is not your ordinary chocolate shop," continues Stocker, who in addition to designing the jcoco location also helped Thompson and team with the visual identity for the brand. "The jcoco pop-up was designed to make guests reimagine retail, to rethink the experience of shopping for chocolate and other gifts. This shop provides a continually rotating and immersive brand experience that engages senses on every level, in a way that is impossible to do online or even in a traditional brick and mortar space."

Additionally, the new retail location will regularly host Friday tasting events, which will introduce guests to unique beverage and food pairings for the jcoco bars, offer education on what to look for when selecting premium chocolate and provide festive and fun gifting inspiration.

The jcoco pop-up shop will be open in Bellevue, Wash. through December 2015, and with an ongoing commitment to stamping out hunger in America, jcoco is offering guests a multi-sensory shopping experience that gives back so they can feel good about indulging. In addition to the pop-up, jcoco chocolate bars are also available online at www.jcocochocolate.com, in Metropolitan Markets and PCC stores throughout the Puget Sound region, and in select Whole Foods and fine gourmet retailers across the country. jcoco retails for MSRP $7.50 for the three, one-ounce bars and MSRP $2.50 for the single one-ounce bars. All bars are all-natural and certified Kosher.

About jcoco
First introduced by Seattle Chocolate Company in late 2012, jcoco is a unique American couture chocolate that balances style and stunning flavor combinations with a deep commitment to the community. From our thoughtful packaging to our all-natural and kosher certified ingredients, and our perfectly-portioned individual-wrapped servings (just right for sharing) we believe savoring a jcoco bar is a true indulgence. But it's an indulgence that makes a vital difference. Giving back is at the heart of the jcoco line. We have a growing network of partner organizations in communities coast-to-coast that provide a serving of fresh food to an American in need, each and every time a jcoco bar is purchased. To learn more about jcoco, please visit us online at www.jcocochocolate.com.

About Seattle Chocolate Company
Creating our first chocolate in 1991, Seattle Chocolate Company now offers a full line of premium chocolates that includes Seattle Chocolates truffle bars, award-winning Seattle Chocolates truffles, jcoco bars, and a selection of seasonal and special occasion product offerings. Known for fresh, approachable flavor-combinations and using only the finest ingredients, our small and mighty company is owned and led by CEO Jean Thompson, a self-proclaimed chocoholic. All of our chocolate is all-natural and certified Kosher, and available at retailers nationwide. Coast to coast, we support neighborhood food banks and non-profit organizations focused on bettering the lives of women and their families, specifically in the fight against hunger. To learn more about our company, our chocolates and our giving philosophy, visit www.seattlechocolates.com.

SOURCE Seattle Chocolate Company

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