Photograph by Katherine Bish
For years, the name Bissinger's was synonymous with one item: the molasses lollipop. Then in 2006, the centuries-old company took a quantum leap by introducing Bissinger's, A Chocolate Experience (an aptly named CWE destination featuring desserts, coffees, wines and "choctails"), then another by hiring the husband-and-wife team of Dave Owens and Margaret Kelly, who willingly traded their 16-hour-a-day restaurant gig to dabble in chocolate. In between batches, SLM heard why Bissinger's business remains as robust as its 75 percent dark.
Let's start with that lollipop. That was my first taste of Bissinger's. Dave: Every one is handmade ... hand-pulled to get the aeration right, snipped, put into a mold, "stuck," and hand-dipped. Bissinger's molasses caramel recipe is 300 years old.
You opened the first green restaurant in St. Louis. Why did you leave Terrene? Margaret: That was our first opportunity to open a concept together but we began working more and enjoying it less. Spending time with our kids was a rarity. That caught up to us both.
How did you transition from restaurants to chocolate? M: Ken [Kellerhals, Bissinger's owner] was committed to expanding the brand and bringing a chef-culinary element to the party, even after I told him, "Ken, we don't do candy ... We're not candy people."
So what did you bring to the party? M: For starters, the chocolate-and-wine pairings that we host. They had no experience in restaurant service prior to our arrival. We began making desserts and entered a whole new phase of recipe development.
Are there any discussions of going the artisan route and becoming one of those bean-to-bar chocolate makers? D: It doesn't fit what we do ... it would be fun, but it works best on a smaller scale. M: What we are doing is developing an organic line, something we have experience in, sourcing ingredients that are healthier for you, with a smaller impact and footprint.
What makes Bissinger's chocolate different? D: We have a unique proprietary chocolate blend. The components come in from different manufacturers, and it all comes together here. It tastes like no one else's. M: It was important to Carl Bissinger that the chocolate compliment the center — not overpower it — so that's part of our focus as well, maintaining that balance.
In a recession, people tend to ratchet down. Have your customers reverted to Dove and Hershey's? D: We had a good year — whether that holds true come January, we don't know. The local market continues to become more savvy, leaning toward quality chocolate, quality coffee. And they're buying locally. M: They may not be going to Monaco ... but they are still buying chocolate.
Things like dipped strawberries used to be a seasonal thing ... with them now available year round, did that change? D: Not for us. Prime season is May for strawberries, July for raspberries and September for blackberries. They're only available when they are available. You want a chocolate covered strawberry for Valentine's Day? Sorry ... we never served an out-of-season tomato either.
I know you chocolate-dip other fruits. D: The dried fruits –blueberries, cranberries, apricots, oranges — are always available ... we just introduced a chocolate-covered all-natural black cherry. M: Those are fun to pair with wines ... you find those same components in different wines.
What other goodies have you added to the line? M: Courvoisier searched the world for a company to make one product for them. We introduced the Courvoisier truffle last Fall. And we're test marketing a Ben and Jerry's product line, to be shared with their scoop shops [the Kirkwood location is part of the test market], things like Cherry Garcia Clusters and New York Super Fudge Chunk Logs.
How successful is the new concept, A Chocolate Experience? M: Very successful. Karl really wanted to differentiate a bit; add some restaurant elements; create a lounge atmosphere; touch more of the senses. Really try to create a chocolate experience, with coffees, teas, wines, cordials, drinks and desserts made with the chocolate.
Are you still doing the 5-course chocolate and wine tasting. M: It's an extension of what we've always done with food but now we've got these different chocolates to work with. It's somewhat uncharted territory ... but the experiment has evolved into a monthly tasting.
How big is the tasting group? D: Twenty, but as we expand and move next door, that number can be increased.
And now it's expanding? D: We needed to separate the loungy space from the retail to add more functionality. Traditional Bissinger's shoppers don't quite get the intermingling of chocolates with wine and desserts. M: "I just want my lollies!" D: More space allows both groups to function.
When will the expansion take place? D: In the Spring, we'll double in size ... from 1000 to 2000 square feet. We'll be able to handle larger private events ... parties that pair wine with chocolate is something different.
A novel way to host a cocktail party. M: Bissinger's thought so much of the idea, they just introduced a chocolate and wine tasting kit, a collection of smaller-sized bars and a list of what to pair with them, including their own private label wine.
Wine-and-chocolate pairing is becoming a big deal. M: We think so. We just introduced a cabernet — a fruit-forward wine made by Sherwin Family Vineyards — that was designed and blended to be consumed with Bissinger's chocolate.
Great marketing idea. D: It's an ongoing process ... we're holding cases back, so with successive vintages we'll be able to do vertical tasting pairings, but we're only as far as the second bottling, the 2006. M: The batches are small and the wine is good ... I hope we can hold some cases back.
Are there plans for more "Experience" shops? D: Mmm ... possibly. But we're in a smaller market here so maybe having a single destination place will do just fine. We'll see how the expansion is received.
I know there must be something in the works for February. M: One new package has a bottle of Bissinger cab that comes with a molded chocolate heart that can be filled with fruit, mousse, semifreddo. We provide recipes as well.
You guys are covering all the angles. M: We just updated the packaging. The trick is balancing Bissinger's roots and classic look with new touches. D: This year we won a gold medal at a national gourmet show for our Blueberry Acai Gummy Pandas, and we've got more gummy flavors for 2009, like Goji Guava with Camu Camu ... anti-oxidant superfoods are big. M: We thought it was cool that a chocolate company wins a gold for a confection. ...
Wow! This is no longer your father's Bissinger's. M: The same but more. D: In the fall, we introduced a sugarplum chocolate. And we now have flavors like figgy pudding and roasted chestnuts. We're trying to extend the season. M: It's like a Christmas carol in a box.
Do you miss anything about owning and operating a full-service restaurant? M: There is an immediacy that we enjoyed ... "Hey, Dave we got fiddleheads!" We are both spontaneous people, as most chefs are. You get it in, you make it and you serve it ... all in one day. Here, we are building something bigger with a bigger group.
What don't you miss? M: Swapping the kids at 5 o'clock. Three years without a family vacation. D: Sixteen to 18 hour days. M: Me not being able to read to my kids at night. D: Days off together. And I don't miss not being paid.
What's it like to get your weekends back? M: Back? How 'bout getting our weekends? The first weekend after we left Terrene, my neighbors saw me sitting on my porch and asked me what I was doing.
