Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar (www.chocolatebarnyc.com), New York’s candy store for grown ups, announces plans for its highly anticipated market debut in Australia with the opening of its first restaurant in Melbourne this July, 2014*. Chocolate Bar has selected Emporium Melbourne, a brand new retail complex in the heart of Melbourne’s city centre, as the location for its first official Australian presence. Emporium will be Melbourne’s largest retail development since 1911 when the transformation of the old Myer CBD Centre. One of Melbourne’s most ambitious retail developments, Baz Luhrmann has been lined up as creative director for the official August launch. The 48,000 square metre Emporium Melbourne development, between Swanston and Elizabeth streets, will offer more than 170 retail stores and 30 food outlets. The Flagship Centre opens on 16 April and will house international and local retail brands and a unique café food court concept that will become the home of some iconic restaurateurs, celebrity chefs and Melbourne food royalty. Eleven businesses will open their first Melbourne operations, including New York’s Alison Nelson Chocolate Bar which will be headed by General Manager Rakiza Hussein. The building links Melbourne Central, David Jones and Myer and has taken four years of planning. Built in 1911, its heritage-listed facade has been retained and the interior gutted. The new fitout, designed by Japanese company Wonderwall and the West Melbourne-based Buchan Group, is an enormous expanse of curved wood, travertine and bluestone tiles and natural light over seven levels. Emporium Melbourne will be open from Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 7pm and Thursday and Friday 10am to 9pm.
Interested media who wish to interview Chocolate Bar founding owner Alison Nelson please contact WORKHOUSE, CEO Adam Nelson via nelson@workhousepr.com or +1 212. 645. 8006.
Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar entry into Australia marks the latest step in its ongoing international expansion. Since the opening of its first store in New York City in 2002, Alison Nelson’s Chocolate bar has built a network of more than 9 restaurants across 4 markets. The new Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar restaurant located in Emporium Melbourne will be a premium large-scale cafe with a sales floor of nearly 2,180 square meters. Designed as a Flagship showcase for the Chocolate Bar brand, the restaurant will be crafted with a vintage modern feel including a theatrical view of chocolate creation within the Bar area. Guests will be offered a full service menu including chocolate bars, baked good, truffles, signature cakes, bon bon’s and a tremendous range of hot and cold beverages. Full service breakfast, lunch and dinner courses can be enjoyed all day. The launch of Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar first restaurant in Australia continues the brand’s active growth strategy. Chocolate Bar views Australia as a key market in establishing its brand in the Asia and Oceania region and a first step into markets in the southern hemisphere.
UNITED STATES DEVELOPMENT
Alison Nelson’s Chocolate Bar has created dozens of luxury retail destinations in international locations such as Dubai, Qatar, Pakistan and now, Australia. Her investors have committed millions of dollars to expand the brand and procure additional Flagship locations around the globe. Now, owner Alison Nelson knows it is only a matter of time before a domestic partnership develops and procures the U.S.A territory to create restaurants in major cities like Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. Her vision however remains steadfast; to create a new state-of-the-art chocolate factory and baking facility which houses a retail component in a high-traffic, touristic area of New York City. Mirroring the boutiques overseas it will include a restaurant, premium cocoa lounge, and groundbreaking beverage bar while servicing the international needs of the brand by way of experimentation through new recipes and designs thereby significantly increasing the profit margins of internet, wholesale, retail and future franchise sales.
The Saif Belhasa Group of Companies, Chocolate Bar’s brand partners in Dubai, recently announced plans to expand its restaurant division with newly signed outlets. The Al Jadaf-based group of companies holds the Gulf franchise rights to the Alison Nelson Chocolate Bar, operating two outlets in The Dubai Mall, and one each in Mercato Mall, Mirdif City Centre, WTC, The Pearl Qatar and Pakistan. The firm has already signed deals to open the franchise in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and is also planning to launch soon in Kuwait. Visit www.chocolatebarnyc.com
