A new café is opening in York – and if you’re a chocaholic, this one’s a must.
Hotel Chocolat is planning to convert a former restaurant into one of its Velvetiser Cafés.
And it is hiring staff for the new branch.
The café is set to open in what was Estábulo at the Vangarde Shopping Park.
Estábulo, a Brazilian bar and grill, shut suddenly in October 2024, with staff given no notice of the closure.
Before that the unit had been home to the Giraffe restaurant, which closed in 2019 after five years when its parent company got into trouble.
The opening of the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Café comes as the company is expanding nationwide.
The retailer said it is planning open 25 new UK stores and hire 200 more people.
Hotel Chocolat opened its first shop in north London in 2004 and has since expanded rapidly, selling its upmarket confectionery online and in-person.
It sells items from basic chocolate boxes to high-end so-called velvetisers, devices which whisk chocolate into warm milk.
Last Christmas was Hotel Chocolat’s best ever Christmas for UK sales.
The chocolate seller, which was bought by Mars last year, made 10% more in sales over the festive period in 2024 than the previous year.
Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafés sell light and dark hot chocolate drinks, “ice cream of the gods”, cakes and snacks.
The new Vangarde branch says it is hiring staff – you can find out more on the website.
There is no opening date set for the Hotel Chocolat café opening. It will be next door to Mama Doreen’s Emporium, famous for its afternoon teas and other treats.
There are two other Hotel Chocolat outlets in York, on Stonegate and at the Designer Outlet.