Artfully Chocolate/Kingsbury Confections

by Eva Meszaros

Photos by Scott Henrichsen Photography; scottfoto.com

As the nation’s capitol continues to define itself as a foodie destination, Artfully Chocolate/Kingsbury Confections—known to locals as ACKC—has given the Washington, D.C., food scene a boost with its contemporary cocoa bar and vast selection of fine handmade chocolates. Owners Eric Nelson and Rob Kingsbury took inspiration from the chocolate destinations in other major cities, from New York and Chicago to Paris and Madrid, to create their Washington shop.

“We figured D.C. was sophisticated enough to have a cocoa bar,” says Nelson, who covers the business and artistic angle of ACKC. Kingsbury, who comes from a line of artisan chocolatiers, handles the sweets production, most of which happens on-site at the D.C. store. Today, ACKC boasts three locations in the area, and its flagship store continues to evolve.

The History...

Nelson and Kingsbury’s paths first crossed when Nelson opened his first art gallery and chocolate shop, Artfully Chocolate, in Alexandria, Va., in 2006, after making a midlife career change to become an artist. With a business background and a desire to have a venue with more than just art on the walls, Nelson turned to local chocolatiers, including Kingsbury, who ran Kingsbury Confections nearby. Three suppliers provided Nelson’s shop with handcrafted fine chocolates, but Kingsbury’s accounted for more than 60 percent of Nelson’s business from the outset.

A year into the partnership, Nelson and Kingsbury merged their businesses and opened ACKC in the Logan Circle neighborhood of D.C. in December 2007. “There was a lot of synergy between [Kingsbury’s] passion and my passion,” Nelson recalls, including a love of classic stars such as Lucille Ball, which is reflected in their stores. They have since expanded to two more locations, in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Va., and in Chevy Chase, Md., and sell ACKC chocolates wholesale throughout the region. The flagship D.C. store acts as the production facility for all three locations and for wholesale.

Product Mix...

ACKC offers an array of chocolate goods, but the spotlight falls on the cocoa bar, where customers can choose from more than a dozen flavored hot chocolates—each inspired by and named for a Golden Age movie or television starlet.

“Most of the drinks have some aspect of their personality as a diva included in the drink itself,” Nelson explains. “For example, the Lucille Ball has chipotle peppers for her fiery personality and cinnamon for her hair.” Other drink options include the Audrey Hepburn, an extra-dark hot chocolate served in a 4-ounce espresso cup, and the Marilyn Monroe, a white chocolate drink with a touch of crème de menthe topped with whipped cream and Oreo cookie crumbles.

Housemade confections, including truffles, chocolate bars and chocolate-dipped fruit, make up the majority of ACKC’s regular lineup. Chocolate bars come in 15 varieties, while as many as 25 types of truffles are available year-round. Kingsbury uses only four chocolates in all the handmade goods, drinks included: couverture-grade Belgian in white chocolate, milk chocolate with 35 percent cacao, 60 percent semisweet and 72 percent bittersweet. Chocolate-drizzled popcorn, molasses and toffee products fill the remaining shelves, as well as chocolate molds, which include such specials as a souvenir favorite, the Capitol building.

“In terms of confections, there’s no question that our Fleur de Sel Caramel is by far our biggest seller,” Nelson says. Other popular truffles include the Brie, which uses the soft cheese in place of butter for the ganache, the Mimosa Twist, with champagne and orange, and the simpler Just Dark and Just Milk, “for the traditionalists,” Nelson notes. The Lucy is the most popular hot drink, while a soy- sauce, almond and chocolate blend called the Shoyu is a best seller among the bars.

Challenges Breed New Products...

“We were wildly popular the first few months,” Nelson recalls of ACKC’s winter debut, “and we thought it would just be smooth sailing from then on.” But the hot and humid summer resulted in decreasing hot cocoa and chocolate sales. “We had thought that people might adapt to drinking hot chocolate in the summertime, the way people still drink coffee in the summertime. But we were wrong.”

The diva cocoa flavors had been a hit with customers, which gave Nelson and Kingsbury the idea to adapt those profiles into summer-friendly ice cream desserts and milkshakes. Extending these popular flavor pairings to their truffles and chocolate bars as well, ACKC established its signature flavors to keep customers craving the sweets year-round.

“We’re trying to get people addicted to these signature flavor combinations,” Nelson explains, “so that in the summer they’ll get it as an ice cream, in the winter they’ll get it as a hot chocolate and, in the meantime, they’ll buy it for their boyfriend or girlfriend as a truffle or chocolate bar.”

Points of Distinction...

An air of sophistication is palpable in ACKC, bolstered by the quality of products, the art and the store’s atmosphere and appearance. While bold décor and Nelson’s original artworks appear in all three locations, the D.C. shop is tailored more for romantic allure. “You walk in and you kind of have a feel of adventure or romance,” Nelson says. Brightly painted walls are accented by Nelson’s equally bold and bright original artworks, all of which are for sale—right down to the café tables. “That helps us quite a bit in the financial aspect,” he adds.

The gallery-cum-chocolate shop extends its services to include wireless internet, a coffee bar and a wine bar, with a selection of reds, whites and sparkling as well as Lambic beer. Among chocolate-themed courses, ACKC regularly hosts a popular wine-and-chocolate pairing class, partnered with local vintner First Vine to sample wines with the shop’s truffles and bars.

Sunday brunch is another offering, which includes classic egg dishes as well as some chocolate inventions. Lavender Chocolate French Toast fills a french-toast sandwich with lavender and chocolate; Cheese Dream does the same but with a cheddar cheese, chocolate and bacon filling.

Catering to certain customers is part of ACKC’s philosophy. Carob dog treats are sold at all three ACKC locations, though they’re most popular at the Alexandria store, which tends to draw more families with children and pets. That location offers extra youth-geared traditional candy as well, such as a recently installed Jelly Belly machine.

Customer Base...

With the D.C. shop’s romantic, sophisticated atmosphere, it’s a prime spot for what Nelson calls a “pre-date”—“to check each other out without having alcohol being too much a part of the equation,” he remarks. Located in the LGBT-friendly Logan Circle neighborhood, ACKC sees a mix of same-sex and straight couples, and its proximity to several area restaurants and the Studio Theatre—on the same 14th Street block—makes it a hotspot for a treat before and after a show.

“It’s kind of an ancillary destination during the non-gift-giving times of year,” Nelson notes. But around holidays such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, he adds, “it becomes a mecca for anybody who is looking for a gift.”

Pricing and Sales Breakdown...

Truffles cost $1.95 apiece, and customers can buy gift boxes holding two to 24 pieces; a six-piece box costs $12, while a 24-piece box costs $46. Chocolate bars come in two sizes: standard-size bars ($6.50) and newer half-size Pocket Bars ($3.50). The signature hot-chocolate drinks come in 12-ounce ($4.25) and 16-ounce ($4.95) sizes. One scoop of ice cream costs $3.50, while wine ranges from $6 to $10 per glass. Nelson’s artwork runs the gamut, with the tables at $300, and wall pieces ranging from $200 to more than $1,000.

Future Plans...

Three locations—plus a fourth gift-oriented store that Nelson runs on the side—is enough of a handful, Nelson says, so the current focus lies on improving the existing locations. ACKC has established a strategic relationship with Gifford’s Ice Cream & Candy Co., a decades-old D.C. area favorite that recently shifted to a wholesale-only focus. In fact, ACKC’s third shop, in Chevy Chase, is a former Gifford’s Ice Cream Shop. Nelson hopes to grow the popularity of ACKC’s ice cream selection, particularly in the D.C. store, where the frozen dessert hasn’t sold as strongly.

“That store, from the beginning, was a cocoa bar, chocolate shop, coffee shop maybe, but not a place to go and get ice cream,” Nelson concedes. “So it’s been a harder sell for us—in fact, we’re struggling with it.” He has hope, however, that the draw of the Gifford’s brand will boost those sales.

Further plans for the D.C. chocolate shop include connecting with a local pastry chef, starting this summer. “Around July, we will begin to transition the D.C. store into more of a patisserie,” Nelson reveals. “We’re going to put in a couch or two, rearrange the store, focus more on pastries and be a little bit more like a dessert destination instead of a chocolate shop that sells hot cocoa.”

Ice-cream sales slump aside, Nelson is confident in the continued success of ACKC. He calls the business the most diversified chocolatier in the D.C. area, and sales back up that confidence. “Everything we make—we go through almost all of it pretty quickly,” Nelson says. “Nothing ever stays on the shelves for very long.” |SFM|

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Eva Meszaros is associate editor of Specialty Food Magazine.

This article was featured in the July 2011 issue of Specialty Food Magazine. See other articles in this issue at: July 2011 Specialty Food Magazine.

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