Chocolats Favoris' chocolate is so delish it's been to outer space.
In 2018, an astronaut -- the company can't say who for legal reasons -- so loved Chocolats Favoris that he made it a priority to bring some of its chocolate to the International Space Station.
"It had to go through all the testing and vetting to be allowed into outer space," said Chocolats Favoris CEO Dominique Brown with a laugh.
This story has come up at the pre-opening party for Chocolats Favoris' 62nd store in Canada in the bottom of the new Movala tower beside Gyro Beach in Kelowna's South Pandosy/Lower Mission neighbourhood.
The pre-opening shindig was Thursday night and the doors open to the public Saturday at 11 am, just in time for the chocolate-dependant holiday Easter.
"Our concept is unique," said Brown, who flew into Kelowna for the opening from Chocolats Favoris' headquarters in Quebec City.
"We're part ice cream parlour, part chocolate store. We're famous for our soft ice cream dipped in any one of 12 rotating real chocolate flavours and we're also famous for our sustainable chocolates and all our chocolate fondue flavours in tins."
A quick look around the bright and beautiful 2,500-square-foot store bears witness to all that.
The soft ice cream machines back the counter of chocolate dips, which currently features milk and dark chocolate, hazelnut praline, salted caramel, s'mores, dulce de leche, cruncy hazelnut, Dubai white chocolate, maple butter, cotton candy, cookies and cream and signature dark.
There's also a toppings bar to load up your chocolate-dipped ice cream cone even more with yet more chocolate, candy, nuts and dried fruit.
The shelves are piled high with every kind of chocolate imaginable -- cans of chocolate fondue (in most of the dip flavours listed above), chocolate bars, boxed chocolates, chocolate lollipops, chocolate-covered marshmallows, candies, chocolate chips for baking and, of course, chocolate eggs, bunnies, chicks and even hippos for Easter.
In fact, Chocolats Favoris invented chocolate fondue flavours in cans of various sizes that can be plunged in boiling water to heat up and then opened for dipping fruit and cake (an even ice cream).
In the glass counter, there are individual chocolates in dozens for flavours ranging from maple syrup to red velvet cake.
There's cafe seating inside to lick your cone or devour your chocolate and patio seating outside to gaze over to Gyro Beach.
The franchise owners of the Kelowna Chocolats Favoris' are Jay Hedley and Jezabel Pouliot.
Jay's from Australia, Jezabel from Quebec City and they met in Kelowna 13 years ago when he was here working at Big White Ski Resort and she was on holiday.
They fell in love and Jezabel took Jay to Quebec City where she introduced him to her family and Chocolats Favoris.
The couple tucked into the back of their minds that they'd love to open a Chocolats Favoris store one day.
They moved to Australia (where he worked in yacht construction and she in bridal hair and makeup) and didn't think much more of it until they heard Chocolats Favoris was interested in opening a franchise in Kelowna.
"We jumped at the chance, applied for it from Australia and moved to Kelowna to plan and open it," said Jazabel.
"It's an international love story for us and for Chocolats Flavoris."
The Kelowna store is part of the beloved Quebec brand's expansion west from its origins in La Belle Province.
There are also franchises in Victoria, Whistler and Vancouver's Gastown.
In addition to its stores, Chocolats Favoris has its products in 2,000 grocery and drug stores across the country, including BC favourites like Save-On, Safeway, Sobeys, Thrifty and Nesters.
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