Mona Changaris, one of principals of Amore di Mona, said the business is coming to New Hampshire to produce and market maple-sweetened chocolate, which is not the same as maple-flavored chocolate.
“We developed a chocolate sweetened with maple so it made sense to be in the heart of the maple syrup producing area in the U.S.,” Changaris said in a telephone interview last week.
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.
According to its website, Louisville-based Amore di Mona makes chocolate with ingredients imported from Europe. Its “nutrition-focused food artisans” produce allergen- and gluten-free low-glycemic vegan chocolates using organic ingredients and “raw, organic, Fair Trade agave nectar, cocoa solids and cocoa butter.”
Changaris emphasized that the new venture is a work in progress and the move to Claremont is just the initial step.
“We are in an infancy stage right now,” Changaris said. “We have just decided to plant our stake (in Claremont).”
Changaris said the company has spoken to (maple syrup) producers but has not fully explored the marketability of maple-sweetened chocolate.
“We don’t know how it will go until it gets out to the customers at-large. Do they like? If they like it, will they buy it and where will they buy it? We will see what the customers’ expectations will be and we will respond to that.”
Changaris said creating maple-sweetened chocolate is “very tricky” because the chemical makeup of maple sap is different than most other sweeteners.
“We are very focused on quality. It has to be right or we don’t do it.”
Deglace LLC, a holding company, bought the two-story, 4,000-square-foot building at 40 Union St., in March. It has been vacant for a couple of years with the last owner briefly running a discount food market there.
Changaris said the early-19th century brick building with a long history in the city is in keeping with the company’s profile of creating European-style chocolates using imported ingredients.
“We wanted something that reflected that and its appearance is in line with what we do,” she said. Changaris said the Claremont location may not be named Amore di Mona, but no decision has been made on a new name.
Still being considered is how the chocolates will be sold. Changaris said the company is leaning toward using resellers and perhaps maple-sugaring operations that would produce their own confections with the chocolate.
“We are very excited about the potential for doing business in New Hampshire. It is very attractive and the people there (in Claremont) have bent over backwards for us.”
Another goal of the operation will be to introduce young people to the business of making chocolate. “We are excited about the potential to be good neighbors and getting the next generation of chocolate makers trained,” Changaris said.
According to the special use permit application, the new owner will “tuckpoint” the masonry, update the wiring, level the floor, install a kitchen, renew the interior and exterior finishes and replace the windows. Tuckpointing is described as using two colors of mortar in the brickwork, one of which matches the bricks, giving the appearance that fine joints have been made.
“Deglace’s goal is to return the building to an attractive appearance and provide the community a desired business,” the application states.
Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.
