Chocolate News

Dallas' nationally renowned Kate Weiser Chocolate to close its doors

Kate Weiser Chocolates

Photo courtesy of Kate Weiser

Dallas' top chocolatier is closing: Kate Weiser Chocolate, nationally known for its impeccably crafted and breathtakingly beautiful fine chocolates, is closing its doors for good.

According to a note from founder Kate Weiser, she and her financial partners have decided to close, "after 12 years of creating beautiful chocolates and making holiday memories."

Weiser stated that "our business is highly seasonal, labor-intensive, and over the last few years has required a heavy financial lift to keep operating."

They'll keep their locations at Trinity Groves and NorthPark Center open until they sell out of chocolate. Online ordering will be available until Wednesday, April 15.

Weiser, who began her culinary career as a pastry chef after attending the California Culinary Academy, founded her eponymous chocolate company in 2014 as part of the "incubator" program hosted by Trinity Groves, where she earned instant renown for her distinctive hand-painted, colorful bonbons — part of her vision to create edible art.

Kate Weiser Chocolates Carl Snowman Carl the Snowman will be available during Christmas 2026. Photo courtesy of Kate Weiser Chocolate

She drew national fame after creating the popular "Carl the Snowman" hot chocolate kit, consisting of a hand-painted chocolate snowman, filled with marshmallows, that melts into a rich and creamy hot cocoa when submerged in warm milk. The product, which has been widely copied, earned her a spot on the annual "Oprah's Favorite Things" list in 2025 — her second time on the coveted list, following her initial appearance in 2018.

She expanded her brand to NorthPark Center in 2016 and the Shops at Clearfork in 2018, and partnered with Neiman Marcus. She was named Top 10 Chocolatiers in North America by Dessert Professional Magazine in 2014.

"While this is not the outcome I had hoped for, I am deeply proud of what we created and incredibly grateful for the lessons, relationships, and experiences that came with it," Weiser said. "I'm looking forward to applying those lessons to the next chapter and building something memorable again in the future."

She said her immediate focus was on securing jobs for her team. She's also arranged production for "Carl the Snowman" to have one final Christmas season with Central Market for the 2026 holiday.

"This company has been so much more than chocolate," she said. "It’s been a community, a creative home and a place to find gifts for the people you love. We are endlessly grateful for every visit, every gift shared, every holiday tradition and every moment you chose to include us in your lives. You all mean the world to me and I will take these memories with me forever."

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Amber Heckler contributed to this story.

desserts closings

Times Square News

Dallas' buzzy Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley heads to Times Square

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Lobster tail at Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley

A downtown Dallas restaurant and nightspot is hitting the Big Apple: Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley, known for its Southern comfort food and clubby atmosphere, is opening a location in New York, in none other than Times Square.

According to a release, they'll occupy a 10,000-square-foot space that was formerly home to a restaurant called Pink Taco, at the corner of 42nd Street, Broadway, and Seventh Avenue. This will be their eighth location (with Boston also in the works), as well as the largest and most visible, and it's anticipated to open in summer 2026.

"Every city we've opened in has become home," Kelley says in a statement. "New York is where the world watches. Opening at Times Square isn't just an expansion — it's a statement. We built our way here, one city at a time, on our own terms. We can't wait to humbly welcome New York home."

Kelley was a driven entrepreneur and attorney new to the food & beverage world when he opened the first location in downtown Dallas at 1933 Elm St. in 2020. It immediately drew a refreshingly integrated crowd with its mix of Southern comfort food — shrimp & grits and fried catfish are specialties — with Kelley savoring his role as the man on the scene, walking the floor to welcome guests, which often include Black celebrities and athletes.

Kelley's culinary story began in the South, under the guidance of his grandmother who taught him not just recipes but reverence for good ingredients, Southern traditions, and the art of hospitality.

The menu is anchored by soul food traditions elevated with refined technique and bold flavor in dishes such as Fried Chicken and Waffles, Blackened Shrimp and Grits with Lobster Tail, and Jamaican Jerk Lamb Chops. Cocktails include Peach D'Ussé Frosé, Gold Old Fashioned, and a Blackberry Margarita.

Since the concept debuted in Dallas, Kelley has opened locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Miami, with Boston also opening Summer 2026.

Every location features an iconic rose wall as well as live music — drawing celebrities such as Jesse Jackson, Tina Knowles, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Meg Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, 50 Cent, Joseph Sikora, Phylicia Rashad, Malik Nabers, Dak Prescott, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Maxey, Kawhi Leonard, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and a host of entertainers, athletes, and cultural icons.

Reservations opened on May 5 at kitchenkocktailsusa.com/newyork.

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