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| Edwin and Katherine Jablonskas |
WINTER PARK, FL – A new jewel has taken its place in the crown that is Winter Park’s Park Avenue. But what you will find at 552 S. Park Ave. isn’t a posh clothing boutique or an upscale jeweler. AJ Chocolate House is much, much richer than that.
In more than 2,200 square feet at the corner of Park Avenue and Fairbanks, Lithuanian owners Edwin and Katherine Jablonskas offer every kind of Belgian chocolate imaginable from dreamy chocolate and raspberry truffles to velvety chocolate European cheese cups and decadent cakes and desserts to smooth solid chocolate bars wrapped in edible gold.
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| Algimantas “A.J.” Jablonskas |
“A
family in Italy roasts this coffee specifically for us,” Jablonskas explained “
and you can ask to have our coffee prepared any way you want it: regular, latte
or cappuccino and you will see its perfection served in a real cup and
saucer.”
The
first of its kind in the U.S., AJ
Chocolate House opened in Winter Park August 3 to crowds every
weekend. Initially with a staff of 15, the steady stream of patrons led them to
hire four more in mid-September. 
AJ Chocolate House interior
“The
only advertising we did was just to be here and we have been completely packed
every weekend,” said Edwin Jablonskas.
The company began in 2002 in Lithuania. Edwin and his father – Algimantas “A.J.” Jablonskas –opened the first AJ Chocolate Houses in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Since the flagship location opened in Lithuania’s capitol, 25 other AJ Chocolate Houses have opened across Lithuania and Latvia, and one is opening in Norway in October.
Jablonskas said his goal is to open a second and third location in Florida, with one large enough – perhaps 5,000 square feet – to also include a chocolate museum and enough space for the make-your-own-chocolate parties that are popular in Europe.
Some
conduct business meetings in the soothing atmosphere, while others bring a date
for fun chocolate fondue.
Patrons
can peruse what seems like miles of custom-made European mahogany cabinetry
that offers sparkling climate-controlled glass cases brimming with endless
displays of chocolates. Shelves on one wall show off their selection of
chocolate gifts, which AJ Chocolate
House is known for internationally.
A large part of AJ Chocolate House’s business is corporate gifts, which can have company logos placed on boxes and or the individual chocolates.
“We have been doing this in Europe for years,
but it’s just beginning in the U.S.,” Jablonskas said.
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| Lithuanian Parliament building |
Throughout
Europe AJ Chocolates can be
found in restaurants and hotel gift shops, and some hotels put the chocolates
on guests’ pillows, he said.
The
Winter Park location was abandoned for several years, having been home to a
jeweler and later a coffee shop for a few weeks. When he found the space it was
quite bare. Jablonskas said he invested more than he expected to achieve its
elegant look today.”
Markus
Lorscher, general manager of the Peruvian restaurant a
few doors down, “Mares Real Peruvian Cuisine,” agrees, “The new chocolate house
is the cherry on top of Park Avenue.”
Markus Lorscher
"When
someone needs a gift they always think chocolate because, when you give a box
of chocolates, they are happy to get it and they remember who gave it to
them.”
AJ Chocolate House is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
through Wednesday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. For more
information, please visit https://.AJChocolate.com.
CONTACT:
Beth Payan
Larry Vershel Communications, Inc.
2433 Lee Road
Winter Park, FL 32789
407-461-3781
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