The Colorado-based chocolate shop is coming to the North Side by the end of this year.
From Southport Corridor, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is closing in on a new location in Lakeview. This follows the company debuting the 3 N State Street location around Christmas. Franchisee Tyson Minnick told What Now Chicago it will be about a six-to-eight-month turnaround to open the shop once the lease is signed.
Minnick is also the franchise owner of The Loop shop, and he has been wanting to expand into the Chicago market for a while. His new location will serve some of the same favorites at stores around the country, including chocolate sweets, caramel apples, fudge and hot chocolate.
“This has been something in the works for the last year, year-and-a-half,” Minnick said.
The Southport Corridor area is considered to be around the Southport CTA Brown Line station, with concepts including Corridor Brewery & Provisions and Crosby’s Kitchen. While a location is not being revealed yet, Minnick said the team is seriously considering a space just south of the Brown Line stop, which is near the intersection of W Roscoe Street.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory currently has over 250 stores across the U.S., with around eight in Illinois. The other Chicago shop is inside O’Hare International Airport. As of now, there are plans to eventually open nine other locations across Illinois.
Minnick said those visiting the Southport shop in the future can expect a setup very similar to the one in The Loop, with areas to choose chocolates and candies, and an ordering stand that also serves hot chocolates and Pepsi products. More information on Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Chicago can be found on their website.
