Chattanooga’s unique dessert destination for connoisseurs of artisan chocolates
Part coffee shop, part patisserie and, of course, part chocolate shop, The Hot Chocolatier is a perfect destination for after church, date night, or any time you stroll through the South Side.
If you’re visiting the shop, you might want to sample one of more than 20 flavors of hot chocolate, or indulge in a coffee beverage.
One of Chattanooga’s few coffee shops with Sunday afternoon and weekday late-evening hours, the Hot Chocolatier is a destination your taste buds won’t forget.
Did you know you can float a scoop of French Macaron gelato in a cup of hot chocolate? At The Hot Chocolatier on Market Street, indulgence is encouraged and chocolaty innovation is on display.
With Mother’s Day in mind, visit the truffle case, where dozens of homemade treats—often created from local ingredients—make your mouth water.
You can bring your mother to choose her favorites, or select a gift box just for her. Round it out with other candies, such as chocolate-covered raisins or coconut macarons.
“When you look around, it’s overwhelming,” says owner Wendy Buckner, who runs the business with co-owner Brandon Buckner. “There’s so much to choose from—chocolate-covered pretzels and nuts, toffee, beautiful cakes, and, of course, the truffle case.”
With a couple of days’ notice, you can special order a cake made from scratch just for your mother (or you). But all you have to do is walk in the door and the staff will build you a gift basket, selecting whatever fits your fancy from the temptation-filled cases.
“Visit us for Father’s Day, too,” Wendy says. “Dads are hard to buy for, but give him some chocolate and he’s gooood!”
With rain coming and going, temperatures rising and falling, finicky chocolates are hard to work with—but the Buckners know exactly what tweaks to make to get the product just right, every time.
They’ve visited European chocolatiers to perfect their skills, and they also come from backgrounds in the visual arts, making their treats pleasing to the eye as well as the tongue.
Right now, these artists of confection have so many innovations to share:
- Birthday Cake Truffles
- French Macaron Cake with White Chocolate Mousse
- Double Chocolate Sin Cake Bon Bons
- Spiced Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cakes
- Blueberry Lavender Sorbet
Gelato in numerous flavors: Chattanooga Whiskey, French Macaron, Sticky Bun, Salted Caramel, Red Velvet Cake, and so much more…
Even the gelatos are made from scratch. “In our Sticky Bun Gelato, we start with cream cheese gelato and chop up sticky buns in it,” Wendy says. “We use high-quality chocolate in our Chocolate Gelato—you can’t beat it, it’s so chocolaty and good! It makes such as difference when all the ingredients are really fresh.”