Teuscher Chocolates & Cafe

I love their chocolates but the customer service at this place is bad.
I was confused about whether I was picking up the right box of chocolates from a tray that had multiple varieties of chocolates and no labels on the boxes. But the woman behind the counter just didn’t want to come out to help. So now I have no idea if I have finally ended up with what I paid for (it’s a gift so I can’t test it either).
I had to ask her multiple times to gift wrap it, and yes please charge me for it even if I have to walk you through the wrapping process. The woman assisting me acted so confused and surprised, as if gift wrapping is a new concept for her, and this is during the holiday season. Of course I know for a fact that they gift wrap because my husband has bought chocolates for me from here well wrapped on several occasions. Not to mention they have tons of wrapping paper and 50 varieties of ribbon lying next to the wall for all to see. Yet, one more lady joined in to tell me that as a favor they will put a ribbon but usually they don’t gift wrap. I was tempted to ask her if she was also selling the ribbon along with her chocolates in that case.
Mouth watering chocolates from a business with bad customer service skills.

Get their famous Dom Perignon-​infused truffles (choice of milk or dark chocolate, about $ 4/ea)…these are among my favorite of all-​time chocolates. The service here is always lovely (though don’t expect to get fawned over), the store is a fanciful and whimsical holiday delight (they offer gorgeous gift boxes suited for each holiday/​occasion that are themselves a gift that will last long after the candies have been inhaled & they redecorate the store throughout the year for each holiday & season). This place is top-​tier quality so expect top-​tier prices (many candies are $ 4/​ea+ and drinks start about $ 5/​ea+). If Hershey’s is the chocolate you prefer, don’t waste your time here… and no, they don’t offer samples like See’s or Godiva (solidly good mid-​tier chocolates that I can plow through; I save the Teuscher for special occasions and savoring).

During my entire 36 year existence here on Earth, I have always enjoyed some kind of chocolate at any time of the day. When I was a kid, it was Fudge pop tarts. When I was in high school, chocolate milkshakes. Even in my early adulthood, I always was the first person to open up the box of Sees Nuts and Chews during the Christmas season. Now, in my… LATE early adulthood, I’ve moved on to better things, European Chocolate. I won’t go into another rant about how much better the EU stuff is (and it is), but I will say that Teuscher always meet and exceed those now-​lofty chocolate expectations. I have been going to this Teuscher for a good 8+ years. Mind you, not ever day or every week. Not even every month. After all, it is fairly expensive. But, every time I crave an exceptional piece of chocolate, I come here. Some of my favorites are:
LIGHT BUTTERCRUNCH — Milk chocolate butter ganache surrounded by crunchy nougat.
NAMA — Dark chocolate with 4 times the normal cocoa butter content. I’m not a dark chocolate kind of person really, but this is absolutely phenomenal!
WHITE GIANDUJA — White chocolate almond gianduja coated in white chocolate
They also have some of the best champagne truffles. I’m not a fan when it comes to chocolate and alcohol, but this is pretty darn good!
I think this is family-​owned and they are always friendly when I come in. But, maybe that’s due to the fact that me and my family probably put their kids thru college with all the money we spent there.

Gotta love white chocolate mocha from a café that specializes in chocolates!

I love Teuscher’s champagne truffles. I LOVE them. It’s like the wine of chocolate — an indulgence meant to be savored. I don’t even flinch when I tell people I spent like $ 60+ on a box of chocolates, because I know it’s that good.
That said, I’m looking for literally any other way I can get hold of these that doesn’t require having to go into the store, because their customer service sucks. If you hire low-​end people to sell high-​end chocolate, is it still high-​end chocolate? Debatable. I’m on the side that says NO.
So yes, great product, being all but dragged through the mud by s**tty salespeople. It’s a tragedy. Some people can see past it though — I hope I can find one of them to get my fix for me.

very very good chocolate and crazy expensive. You are looking at 30 bux for like 3 pcs of truffle chocolate

Terrific chocolates. Chocolates are flown from Zurich every week.
Must try — champagne truffle.

4.5 Stars
Cute high end chocolate shop. Apparently they fly in the chocolates from Switzerland every 10 days. You can buy gift boxes or chocolates by the piece. They also sell coffee, gelato, and hot chocolate.
I selected 4 pieces for just under $ 10: green tea dark chocolate, white chocolate pistachio, dark chocolate mint, and dark chocolate sea salt caramel. Each truffle packed a flavor punch, especially the green tea which had a generous dusting of matcha. The treats were definitely on the pricey side though, I believe it was $ 115-​$ 120/​lb.
Would I buy again? Yes, definitely enjoyed the chocolate, and I had no issues with service. The lady greeted me and was able to answer all my questions and make relevant suggestions.
-.5 stars for no samples at all. I understand the chocolate is pricey, but the cost of samples should be built into the business model.

Not a bad place for nicer, pricier chocolates. I wanted to find something nice for my in-​laws, so I was looking to spend $ 50+ on some quality chocolates. The chocolate that I bought was pretty good, and they were not at all overpriced for the quality.
I will say, though, that it would be helpful if they had *anything* out for tasting. I wouldn’t ask for samples of everything, of course, but it would’ve been nice to try a sample of *any* one of their chocolates for tasting — so that customers would know if they like the style of these chocolates before spending $ 50 or $ 150 on anything in the store.
I don’t care much for Godiva and Ghirardelli’s, for example, so I wanted to make sure that these weren’t going to be that type of chocolate, or something that tastes cheap but is overpriced.
So the customers purchase blindly, fingers crossed that they’re buying something that isn’t going to get thrown away later. Thankfully, what I bought was actually good chocolate, but the owners shouldn’t be so cheap that they don’t have some tiny samples out for tasting.

Small, quaint shop. I like how they sell imported truffles that were manufactured from Zurich.
The prices are a bit more upscale where they sell assortments of different flavored truffles.
They do not provide free samples. It doesn’t say so anywhere, but I got the gist of it from looking at the prices alone and the vibe the workers give you.
I ordered the classic Champagne Truffles — 16 count — $ 59. The packaging is gorgeous.
The truffles themselves are delicious, especially when paired with your favorite dessert wine.
What I minus the one stars for is for the customer service. I was tempted to give it 3-​stars, but I did enjoy the truffles…
Customer service is important when it comes to good business. It allows customers to keep coming back and recommending the place to others in the future.
This place… it makes you wonder how it stays in business. Do they not train their workers to greet guests with a smile… or even say hello?
I went in after already telling myself «You are going in there and getting truffles! They’re from Switzerland! »
So… if I didn’t already tell myself I was getting truffles before entering the establishment, I would have put that money into getting myself a new wallet or something (they had sales everywhere at the mall!)
The shopkeep did not greet us when we entered the place. I walked around the store, looking around… never been here before! … and secretly wanted to know what I should get… what is worth getting… etc etc.
All the while, this girl (worker/​shopkeep/​person behind the table) just looks at us like a zombie, not even a smile on her face, no greeting, no small talk, etc etc.
I attempted to make small talk and she pretty much just gives yes or no answers…
So in the end, I just get the Champagne truffles because it was the closest, shopkeep did answer yes to if the Champagne Truffles were good sellers, and I liked the packaging.
A few recommendations if they bother to read reviews?
— Greet those who come in
— Make small talk, especially when you have no other customers. It’s better than looking blankly at us… and kinda creepy
— if you get the vibe we are going to purchase, or even of not, try to upsell! There’s a whole plethora of items in that shop we have no clue is good or not.
— perhaps start pre-​planning on getting samples? A lot of other places do it. Even if you are ‘high-​end’.
Or at least have it so that your workers can confidently describe and provide ideas of what the truffles taste like. Or good recommendations.
A part of me has a feeling that they don’t have opinions on the products because they honestly do not know what any of these taste like.
Overall, change your strategy on customer service!
Also, is it just me or is strange that they sell shaved ice at a truffle store?

Try the hot chocolate, its pricey ($ 6.50) but nice to share with a loved one and sit and people watch in the mall. There are no seats but the mall has a small outdoor food court to sit at or some of the little benches around the perimeter. We have been going there for years and always forget to post a little compliment for them. Happy New year Teuscher.

The thickest, tastiest hot chocolate… only need a small cup (& few $$$!).

Friendly workers with Fabulous ! Chocolates. I the Dark Cocoa Truffle and their Strawberry Jam. Will definitely come back :)

Absolutely a fantastic chocolate shop. This is not chocolate that you take all of it in one bite and enjoy. This is chocolate that is meant to be savored!
While I have not (and will probably continue to not) purchased any of their simply solid chocolate offerings, I have had the joy of trying many of the other options that they have available.
Nama chocolate: By far my favorite of the chocolates offered. This small, unassuming square dusted in cocoa powder looks as though it offers a taste of flavor nothing more, but that lies! If instead of letting it melt on your tongue, a delicious offering definitely, you gently bite away a corner and let it melt, you’ll find the delicious dark chocolate melt over your tongue from even that small portion and you will test the richness as it dissolves, leaving you with several more nibbles of delight! For anyone questioning if this chocolate is what is worth while, I suggest get a square of Nama and purchase some of the other chocolate you enjoy and taste them side by side. The depth of the flavor from this chocolate, in my opinion, will shine.
Champagne truffle: My sisters favorite of their chocolates. Personally it does nothing for me, however to her it’s a complete and utter delight. This is her and her husbands favorite treat chocolate and is something they enjoy together a few times a year as a celebration. As all chocolate experiences can be subjective, I feel as though there is a good chance this will be enjoyed by many! But not all.
Other chocolates that I’ve enjoyed that I feel happy to recommend:
All of the caramels. I love their caramel flavor and the chocolate is a great compliment to them.
Marzipan — If you enjoy sweet almond, the Walnut, Orange, Pistachio and Raspberry are absolutely lovely. My taste trends towards bitter and fruit though.
Dried fruit — Ginger, Orange peel and lemon peel! The dark chocolate with these intense flavors go so very well together! What dark usually can overshadow by virtue of its own flavor is brought up in a delightful contrast to the sweet/​fragrant flavors of these peels and the ginger. Having not tried the others, I can’t recommend them personally but I’m almost certain they’ll live up to the excellence I’ve come to expect.

I do CrossFit four times per week mainly so that I can enjoy my daily Teuscher choco-​sweet indulgence without guilt. One piece per day feeds my chocolust. My tastes tend to the less sweet-​I really don’t care for truffles-​and still Teuscher gives me many options. I especially enjoy the dark chocolate with slivered almond or hazelnut; the chocolate-​coated honey-​nougat; the Nama cacao-​butter pieces (the new matcha-​infused Nama are sublime); and the 99% bars. In terms of quality these chocolates are fresh, consistent, and of quality comparable to that of La Maison du Chocolat, my NYC/​Paris go-​tos. They also have an excellent selection of coffee and tea, made to order and delivered promptly.
I have been a regular (twice monthly) customer of the Stanford location for approximately 10 years and have never experienced less than exemplary customer service from various employees. I must say it is hard for me to imagine the 1-​star experiences reported recently. For those considering patronizing Teuscher, perhaps this observation would be useful: this is not a candy shop. This shop sells expensive luxury goods that happen to be edible. The owners treat their goods and customers with respect. I have found that reciprocating that attitude as a customer always results in a most pleasurable experience.

Unilocal, could you PLEASE allow us to give a business ZERO stars?
As a group of us were about to enter this business, there was a sign posted stating «Please keep door closed to maintain freshness of our chocolates.» Remember this as I describe what I saw when we were in the store.
I noticed long strands of plastic flowers hanging from the ceiling that were dusty and probably carried allergens that blow in each time customers enter and leave the store. That was the first negative I noticed here. I took a look around the small area for customers (not stroller or wheel chair friendly by the way) and was surprised to see two windows open to the outside where presumably you can place an order for chocolates? I went over there and saw that this chocolate store, remember they tout they are HIGH END, sells gelato and shave ice?! What’s with that? I don’t recall Godiva or even See’s Candies selling shave ice, do you? Other high end choclatiers that I have shopped at do not offer shave ice… what a confusing concept if you are touting high end chocolate.
Heading back to the counter where the female employee (who turned out to be the franchise owner) was standing, I politely asked if they offer a sample of their chocolates. With a look that would freeze Medusa herself, this female said «We don’t give free samples. We are not like See’s Candies! We are high end chocolate!» I told this female who apparently knows nothing of customer service in the USA, that Godiva gives a free sample, to which she replied «We are high end chocolate! If you buy one chocolate, you can sample our high end chocolate!» Mind you, she said this with a rude tone and I was already done with her lack of manners, let alone lack of customer service. I headed out of the store with my friend who could not believe that all went down. He was aghast at the very poor and rude customer service by this woman.
I will never step foot in this store when I come to this mall. There are plenty of stores that I enjoy spending my money at that give excellent customer service. In fact, I had just shopped at Neiman Marcus prior to stopping here.

Noelle’s Unilocal Notebook 2014
Came here with my family and friends recently. Upon entering one will note the gas station sand alone freezer holding cups of Gelato Classico for sale– which makes this small retail space even smaller on the right hand side as you enter. The shop is really small and it was difficult to navigate my Orbit Double Helix Stroller in single stroller mode, I can’t imagine someone with a wheelchair being able to access the space with ease. There are chocolates galore inside. We were greeted as we entered.
Lady behind counter: Welcome. Do you want to buy champagne truffle?
Me: No, thank you.
Lady behind counter: Do you want to buy champagne truffle?
Me: No, thank you. I ‘m going to buy chocolates for my family.
Lady behind counter: Do you want to buy champagne truffle? Dom Perignon! Dom Perignon!
Me: Again, no thanks.
I look at the chocolate and decided which ones to buy.
Lady behind counter: Do you want to buy champagne truffle? Dom Perignon! Dom Perignon! Do you know Dom Perignon?
Me: Yes, I do. We have a couple of bottles at home. I do not want any Dom Perignon truffles. Do you have any samples?
Lady behind counter: NO! NO! We do not have samples. We high end chocolate! We high end chocolate!
Me: No worries, I’ve been to chocolate shops that sell Valrhona and Godiva and they give samples.
Lady behind counter: You buy one chocolate. Then you eat– like a sample that you pay for!
Me: Um, no thanks. I’ll take these chocolates.
Lady behind counter: You sure you not want Dom Perignon truffle? We high end chocolate!
Me: No, thanks. By the way things look different. Are you the owner? How long have you owned the shop?
Lady behind counter: We own franchise six year. I am owner.
Me: Thanks!
It’s a shadow of what it once used to look like when it first opened here at Stanford Mall. The gas station looking like stand alone freezer inside the shop with the Gelato Classico pre-​scooped gelato, the sign stating they have «shaved ice now available» and of course the café portion with the little to go window– all of these things do not ring «high end» at all. Also the flowers hanging from the ceiling are dusty. Maybe they’ll be selling sandwiches and hot dogs to go with their high end chocolates and shaved ice?
Couldn’t recommend this franchise location of Teuscher Chocolates to anyone with a clear conscience– due to their poor customer service.
Purchased 3 small chocolates for my husband and I to share that totaled $ 16 dollars. Upon tasting them at home they weren’t anything special in fact they didn’t taste like the good quality chocolate Teuscher is known for at all.
noelle’s notes
SKIP IT!

I came in wanting to get some chocolate. Chocolate can be a hit or miss. I’ve been to sees candy and Godiva, and they offer samples to try to make a better decision of what I would like.
Well don’t ask to sample anything here, they are too good of a chocolate store for that. A simple question was asked, «is it possible to sample this particular piece of chocolate?» Owner Response «no, I don’t do that, my chocolate is expensive, you can buy one and sample that». Really? Response back. «oh, Godiva or sees offers samples?» Owner response «my chocolate is expensive»… My response «ok can I have this piece so I can shove it up your candy ass?!» Well at least that’s what I was thinking anyways.
I so wanted to say it, but I was with others and couldn’t. But she was a stuck up candy ass. If you don’t want to offer samples, fine, but don’t be a fucken douche about it. Bragging about your damn chocolate, such a rude ass

Yummy yummy orange peels covered in chocolate! I didn’t even mind that there were no milk chocolate orange peels, yes, they’re THAT good! The shop is TINY though

There is something fundamentally wrong when there are two people working, or at least being paid to work, who are sitting in the back room watching videos on a laptop rather than doing their job. I had to lean into the window to get their attention and then I just got a look of «why can’t you just go away». It literally took them a minute to realize that they had to get off their asses to do something. As if their terrible service wasn’t enough they had the nerve to over charge me on two drinks. I figured it was better not to argue with the knuckle-​dragger behind the register as I couldn’t express my monosyllabically enough for either if them to understand.
If any if the management is reading this review I was «served» at about 4pm ¹¹⁄₁₉. Please have a chat with your employees about not being bad at life.

Let me start off by saying the the peppermint hot chocolate and the apple cider drinks we got were delicious.
Now for the one star…
We walked up to the window where we order our drinks. There seemed to be nobody at the business, so we looked through the window a bit more and found two of the employees (the only ones who seemed to be «working» there) in the back room, looking at a computer and talking; they weren’t even paying attention to see if there were any potential clients.
Now call me old school, but I am pretty sure when you are clocked in, you aren’t supposed to be on YouTube with your co-​worker while the potential customers stand outside confused, wondering if said business is open or not. They were open; the staff just had more «important matters» to take care of. So when my boyfriend finally got their attention and they looked confused and appeared like we were interrupting them, I knew this was terrible customer service.
The last straw was when we realized they overcharged us. An even $ 10 for 2 small drinks??? Not a chance, but there was no way we were going to waste any more time trying to get our money back with these fools (time is money), so we left.

I wanted to update my review and give a better rating to this Teuscher shop.
Although my last experience was not the best, I was contacted by the store manager who said will be working on fixing the issues. I appreciated this a lot. It really shows that they read the reviews and take into account customers’ experience and work on enhencing it if there are some issues.
As always, this is one of the best chocolate shops for me. I have tried a lot high end chocolate shops (in Paris, NY) and they are still my favorite :)
Also what I like in this shop in particular one: since it is not very big, chocolate perfumes the whole room.