Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates opens new location in Webster Groves
Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates opened a second location in Webster Groves in early December. At 2,200 square feet, the new storefront at 7930 Big Bend Blvd., Suite A, is more than three times the size of the original Des Peres location, which remains open, allowing owner and chocolatier Meggie Mobley to expand menu items and flavors.
Bijoux’s iconic chocolate bonbons carry a variety of decadent flavors encased within carefully hand-decorated chocolate shells. In addition to the 12 year-round flavors such as salted caramel and passion fruit, Bijoux also currently offers about six rotating seasonal flavors. For the holiday season this year, Bijoux is celebrating with festive flavors such as peppermint mocha, baklava and eggnog cheesecake. However, now with the larger space, Mobley hopes to expand from 18 flavors to 24 flavors in total, with 16 year-round flavors.
The jewel-like chocolates make a colorful splash against the minimalist black-and-white interior. With the design reminiscent of 1920s art deco style, the new place is “the storefront I would have dreamed of five years ago but could not afford,” Mobley said. Indeed, the new place is yet another step up for Mobley, who originally started Bijoux out of a 200-square-foot unused room in her family home. The new Webster Groves location features a sealable display case that spans the entire countertop, allowing Mobley to fit 70 bonbons of each flavor per tray whereas the original location holds a max of 30 per flavor in each case.
Mobley often takes a step back to look at the case as a whole to get inspiration for new bonbon designs. “I like the case to be colorful and in rainbow order. So, if I see that it is particularly red-heavy, for example, I might make my next design with more greens or blues to balance it out so that the case is aesthetically pleasing,” explained Mobley.
Along with these changes comes a shift in use of the two spaces. For one, Mobley plans to hire more workers to take some weight off her shoulders. In addition, the new Webster Groves location will become the primary manufacturing space, allowing the Des Peres location to focus on selling.
The second location also allows Mobley to experiment with new items and partnerships. She plans to sell Sugarwitch ice cream sandwiches and macarons from La Beaume Co Macarons. In terms of her own creations, Mobley hopes to start offering mousse cakes and other chocolate-dipped confections. In particular, she hopes to expand the price range of her items so that “people don’t have to drop so much money when they come in.” Hoping that anyone can come into Bijoux and take away something special, Mobley plans to add more packageable, snack-like items such as chocolate malt balls.
Although with the hecticness of the holiday season Mobley has been too busy fulfilling the influx of holiday orders to hold an official opening for the new storefront, she still hopes to have a formal grand opening sometime down the line.
Both Bijoux locations are open noon to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, though Mobley hopes to expand hours starting in January.
Editor's note: This story was updated on December 29, 2023, to state that Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates will stock macarons from La Beaume Co Macarons, not La Bonne Bouchee as originally published.
