Ghirardelli store reopens with North America’s largest flowing chocolate wall
The Original Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop reopened on July 13 in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square.
A major upgrade of the premium Ghirardelli Chocolate Company’s second flagship store in San Francisco, US, has formally reopened after a significant six-month renovation project, including a centrepiece decorative wall, writes Neill Barston.
The event was given some added celebrity sparkle with Grammy Award-winning Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland on hand for ribbon cutting duties, with the first 171 visitors on the day representing its length of trading, being offered a special Sundae sweet treat.
Notably, the company explained that its heritage in the area stems back to the 1850s as an original pioneer of confectionery in the region, which recently returned to Chicago’s final hosting of the Sweets & Snacks Expo event.
The newly-designed store features what is thought to be North America’s largest flowing chocolate wall, the original, 19-foot “G” from the marque Ghirardelli sign, a replica San Francisco cable car that doubles as a seating area, antique chocolate making equipment on display.
It follows in the wake of a multi-phased upgrade scheme that last year saw a reimagined Chocolate Experience Store, Ghirardelli’s other flagship retail space at Ghirardelli Square, developed by Bay Area firm Eight Inc.
“We can’t wait for the public to experience our redesigned iconic flagship store at Ghirardelli Square. This shop is located where in the 1960s we first served what is now our World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae,” said Joel Burrows, Ghirardelli’s President and CEO. “After being 171 years in business in San Francisco, we are proud of our deep roots in the city. We remain committed to helping Bay Area visitors and locals alike create sweet memories with their families and friends for many more chocolate-loving generations to come.”
Speaking surrounding her visit to the renowned confectionery site, Kelly Rowland said: “No visit to San Francisco is complete without a delicious sundae at Ghirardelli Square. And now there’s an even more gorgeous setting for having that unique Ghirardelli chocolate experience.”
Introduced in 1966, the Original Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop was Ghirardelli’s first location that focused on sundaes. Its menu will feature 15 different kinds of sundaes, including Ghirardelli’s World-Famous Hot Fudge Sundae. Additionally, the renovated store format will showcase other fountain and bakery favourites like milkshakes, hot chocolate, brownies, cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.
As the company noted, other elements of the elevated retail experience, visitors will get to enjoy a re-designed Pick n’ Mix space where they can customise souvenirs featuring their favourite Ghirardelli chocolate squares. The new space also embraces Ghirardelli’s rich San Francisco history with a tiled mural of the San Francisco skyline on the second floor, as well as vintage Ghirardelli advertisements in the warmly vibrant Sun Room.
Furthermore, guests will be able to see the original, 19-foot Ghirardelli “G” up close. The Ghirardelli marquee sign, an icon that many travellers and locals alike identify with San Francisco, turns 100 this year. Aside from being rewired and outfitted with efficient, low-wattage bulbs, the sign components look just as they did in 1923, when illuminated displays were much more novel. Today’s sign is equipped with a Colour Kinetics LED system that enables each letter to independently display a variety of colours.