» Location: 1437 Market Street (across from The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel)
» Owners: Wendy and Brandon Buckner. Wendy received her training at The French Pastry School in Chicago and Brandon received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the University of Iowa.
» History: The business was founded in 2008 when the Buckner's wanted to bring their experiences from living in other cities and travel studies abroad back to their hometown. The Hot Chocolatier took off in 2011 as the shop moved into its first proper retail storefront on the Southside at 201 West Main Street. In the spring of 2014, the shop relocated to larger facilities directly across the street from The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel at 1437 Market Street. While the shop is European inspired, the Buckner's have always introduced a sense of playfulness into their flavor combinations and product names (such as a whiskey/maple flavored truffle named after actor, Tom Selleck).
» Products: Handmade chocolates, confections, hot or frozen coffee/espresso/chocolate drinks, gelato, cake slices and whole cakes, pastries, customized favors, corporate gifts, and gift cards.
» Most popular items: The "Hottie" Truffle featuring cayenne, chipotle, and ancho peppers; The S'mores Hot Chocolate featuring a homemade marshmallow toasted to order; Salted Caramel French Macarons; and slices of Chocolate Sin Cake.
» Store hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
» Website: thehotchocolatier