What happened at Hoffman's Chocolates' flagship shop over the weekend? Nothing sweet
Beloved South Florida-born confectionary Hoffman's Chocolates shut down its flagship shop in Greenacres over the weekend, ending nearly 40 years of business and sweet memories.
The gourmet chocolate shop at 5190 Lake Worth Road served its final sweets at 6 p.m. Sunday in the same Tudor-style building it had occupied since the late 1980s. Until recently a working chocolate factory, this Hoffman's hub captivated a generation of sweets lovers with public factory tours, whimsical winter wonderlands, ice skating and chocolate-covered pretzels in the outdoor gardens.
Hoffman's Chocolates president Ryan Nelson told the Sun Sentinel this week that the building's owner has new plans for the property.
Nelson said the closing marked the 'end of a meaningful chapter,' though he assured customers that it's not the end of Hoffman's Chocolates in South Florida.
'Customers can continue to enjoy our legendary, award-winning gourmet chocolates, chocolate-covered treats, fudge, ice cream, and more at any of our five South Florida stores,' he said.
The Greenacres closure follows the relocation of the company's full-scale chocolate factory, which was situated in the same building as the shop, back in 2022.
Hoffman's Chocolates, owned by the Fort Lauderdale holding company BBX Capital since 2013, sold the factory building to Saito Holdings LLC in March 2022 for $2.95 million, according to property records.
BBX Capital then moved Hoffman's chocolate-making operations to an 80,000-square-foot facility in Orlando under a new name, Las Olas Confections and Snacks (which also owns brands Williams & Bennett, Anastasia Confections and Money on Honey).
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Meanwhile, Saito Holdings had allowed the chocolate-maker to keep running its longtime retail shop in the building. The Fort Lauderdale-headquartered company operates Saito's Japanese Steakhouse, which has five locations from Dania Beach to Wellington. It hasn't yet announced what the Greenacres building will become.
South Florida chocolate lovers reacted to the bittersweet news on social media on Sunday evening, just as the candy hub prepared to close without fanfare, by sharing fond memories of family outings and delicious treats.
'No! I grew up right by there and used to work there. One of my first jobs. Wow! How sad,' commenter Sally Hart posted on the Facebook group 'Lake Worth Local.'
'I remember when I raised my boys [we visited] a Christmas event with the electric trains,' poster Conny Odle-Morgan added. 'This is very sad that we're taking away traditions that were so meaningful.'
'Their dark chocolate pretzels!' commenter Marie Cubetz wrote. 'When the family owned it, Paul Hoffman would bring boxes of dark chocolate pretzels to my neighbor's parties. So good.'
Hoffman's namesake Paul Hoffman founded the chocolatier in 1975 out of a downtown Lake Worth Beach storefront at 813 Lucerne Ave., later expanding the store to Greenacres while snapping up 2.5 acres of land around it. A train hobbyist, Hoffman started throwing seasonal Winter Wonderlands on the property in 1989, showcasing an ever-growing collection of model trains, engines, cabooses and tankers winding through a village of tiny homes.
Hoffman's retailers remain open in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Plantation and Fort Lauderdale. Visit hoffmans.com.
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