Georgia Trend Magazine. August 2024.

From Switzerland and Belgium to Ecuador and Indonesia, I have had the privilege to taste some of the best chocolates in the world! I have visited countless chocolate factories, taken chocolate-making lessons and met renowned chocolatiers. But what I recently saw right here in Suwanee, is mind blowing in terms of scale and innovation.

Did you know that much of the chocolate that Americans eat today does not meet the definition of chocolate? When you pick up your favorite candy bars from grocery stores, some are falsely labeled as “chocolate” as they are mostly made of sugar and hydrogenated oils. According to FDA, for a product to be labeled as “chocolate” it must contain at least 10% cocoa solids in “milk chocolate” and at least 35% cocoa solids in “dark chocolate.” Snickers® has less than 2%.

Most of the chocolates that you find today fall under two broad categories – branded factory-made candy with main ingredients being cocoa butter, sugar and fluff, or handmade small-batch quality chocolate that costs a fortune. As a commodity the price of cocoa is at an all-time historic high right now, so chocoholics like me have to pay up.

Former proprietor of Bellejais Chocolatier in Kennesaw, Ray Bitzel wanted to bridge this gap of the need for gourmet chocolate that’s made with real, organic ingredients, but is also affordable. In order to do this he needed to scale his manual production line and show consumers what real chocolate actually is. So he opened Bitzel’s Chocolate in Suwanee earlier this year.

Bitzel says he imported machinery from Europe and assembled it to create a seamless chocolate factory. With this state-of-the-art equipment, his team makes artisanal chocolate barks, truffles, molds and chocolate-covered fruits and nuts, on-site, in big batches – producing as many as 300,000 pieces of chocolate a day.

Bitzel wants people to appreciate the families who grow cacao and all the hard work that goes into making chocolate. The 7,000-square-foot glass factory is not just a storefront where you can purchase good quality chocolates. It is also an educational experience where you can take a self-guided tour through a faux cacao tree forest around a real tree trunk with cacao fruits. The interactive display shows how Bitzel and co-founder Dave Rose, source their sustainable single origin cacao from small farmers in Ecuador and Uganda, and how the beans go through an intense process of fermentation, winnowing, grinding, roasting, tempering, packaging and more. You can see all the equipment that enables the bean to bark chocolate making on site through the 168 feet of linear glass.

In the truffle showcase, you will find some unique flavors made with USDA-certified organic beans, as well as Georgia-grown fruit, nuts, and flavors. The Georgia peach truffle is a best seller and limited per customer. With ganache, peach puree, and peach schnapps topped with gold dust and painted leaves, it tastes like biting into a ripe peach dipped in chocolate. Additional truffles like Orange Creamsicle, Chambord Raspberry, , Classic Ruby, made with rare ruby cacao, Bourbon Pecan, made with bourbon-soaked smoked pecans and Gianduja Gold, made with caramel gold chocolate and roasted hazelnut are worth the splurge. In addition to retail, Bitzel’s Chocolate offers private-label chocolate and custom packaging for corporations, restaurants, wineries, and private events.

And the continuously churning Italian gelato machines make on demand fresh artisanal Italian gelato using all natural ingredients. Try a cup of pina colada, salted caramel, Key Lime pie and of course, chocolate, at the store or take home a pint.

The large space allows Bitzel to host tastings and chocolate-making experiences for date nights, corporate events and families with kids, where you can put on white lab coats and work along experience chocolatiers to make your own truffles and treats. Pop in Bitzel’s Chocolate Factory on Northolt Parkway in Suwanee, or order online directly from their website. And find out what good chocolate should taste like!