Meet Amber Travis of Cocoa Dolce

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Travis.

Hi Amber, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
Cocoa Dolce originated in 2005 in a small 1800 sq. ft. location where our retail, kitchen, warehouse, offices, and lounge were under one roof. Since then, we have opened two additional retail locations (3 in total throughout Wichita, KS). In 2019, we moved our Chocolate Headquarters into a 21,000 sq. ft. location in the historic Colemen Factory building. Our passion for creating unique, hand-crafted chocolates with premium ingredients and quality continues to be a primary focus while providing customers with a great experience. Our collaborators, chefs, designers, and more helped cultivate the culture that resonates with our customers, primarily through our products.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Growing the business has had its challenges. In 2014, we opened our second (at the time) retail location in Kansas City in a new development. We opened in the first of three phases, which spanned several years, and unfortunately, we had to close down before our first anniversary. Our company switched ownership a year later, which brought obstacles but even more opportunities. Along with the rest of the world, our retail lounges also were hit by Covid-19. We used each obstacle and challenge as opportunities for growth and improvement. Those setbacks allowed us time to reflect on how we could create better practices and systems that ultimately led us to where we are today.

We’ve been impressed with Cocoa Dolce, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart?
Cocoa Dolce is a community of creative and passionate people who love making life a little sweeter. Almost half of our senior leadership team comprises 10+ year veterans, which says a lot about our culture. We have allowed our staff to feel empowered to make decisions, innovate, and be creative at what we do, which resonates in the products and experience customers feel when shopping with us. We specialize in creating hand-crafted artisan chocolates. Our most popular product is our Build a Box feature, where you can customize your box of chocolates, macarons, cookies, or Gift Sets. Our Corporate customers can also customize their chocolate, labels, packaging, and more, which is a great way to make a delicious impression for corporate gifting.

The continuity and strength of our brand is something we’re really proud of. We strongly believe in the small details and what an impact that can make on the overall experience. That’s why you’ll see our pattern, colors, and finishes throughout our shopping bags, labels, and chocolate designs. It all feels luxurious, special, and made with intent, which is exactly what we want people to feel when they experience us.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?

1. Having a solid foundation for creating moments of joy for our customers. We want Cocoa Dolce to be the best part of their day.
2. Allowing our staff to feel supported to make mistakes and to learn from them. To equip them with the knowledge to succeed and empower them to think for themselves.
3. Not compromising on the ingredients we use. We use high-quality ingredients, Belgian chocolate, and no preservatives.
4. Never stop evolving. We self-edit, research, and develop constantly, whether flavor profiles, packaging, or processes – we’re always looking for ways to improve ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocoadolce/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CocoaDolceArtisanChocolates 

Image Credits
Gavin Peters – photographer – www.gavinpeters.com