Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop Expands Business Opening with Second Store at MontBleu Resort, Casino & Spa

Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop opened a new retail store inside MontBleu Resort, Casino and Spa over Memorial Day Weekend. The retail store sells all of Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop’s popular hand-crafted chocolates such as its signature Dark Chocolate Dipped Bacon from Overland Meat Co.

The MontBleu location will be the second retail location for Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop. “We’re thrilled to move into MontBleu Resort as it’s wonderful exposure not only with guests of the Resort, but with pedestrians in the Casino corridor as well as easy access for South Shore locals,” says owner Doug Rousse. “Our original location is a great space for making all of our chocolate, but has not been ideal for retail operations.”

The decision to open the MontBleu store is another step in transitioning the Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop from a formally wholesale focused business (dba Lake Tahoe Chocolate Factory) to a retail-centric business. Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop is Tahoe’s only locally owned, hand crafted chocolate maker. Since taking over the business in 2011, owner Doug Rousse has transformed the chocolate menu from old standards like chocolate turtles and clusters to creating innovative treats like chocolate covered cherries, pretzels, and potato chips to Tahoe S'mores and gourmet truffles and fudge.

One goal of the new store was to ensure that it be a real Tahoe experience for customers. In addition to selling locally-made, hand-crafted chocolates (bears, pine cones and Lake Tahoe-shaped, “bars” ), the store is decorated floor to ceiling with fine art photography prints from local landscape photographer, Bryan Madsen. “The store might be small but it packs a big visual punch when customers walk in and are surrounded by stunning Lake Tahoe landscape photography,” says Doug Rousse. Bryan Madsen’s photography is for sale in large format frames or smaller matted prints.

The new store is located at the Highway 50 street entrance of MontBleu Resort, Casino and Spa next to the Fountains and near the Sports Book and The Zone Bar.

About Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop:
Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop and its sister wholesale business, Lake Tahoe Chocolate Factory, is a locally owned and operated business specializing in hand crafted chocolates. Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop was purchased by Doug and Nancy Rousse in early spring 2011. In the past year, they have added many new and innovative items new items to the menu of chocolates, and are constantly experimenting making new treats. Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop has also introduced a line of premium Belgium dark, milk and white chocolates. All chocolates are hand crafted on site.

Lake Tahoe Chocolate Shop’s wholesale operations serves such businesses as Harrah’s and Harveys Lake Tahoe, The Hyatt Incline Village, Topaz Lodge among others.

www.laketahoechocolatefactory.com

www.facebook.com/LakeTahoeChocolateFactory

Location