Prominent chocolatier expands in region with new store

The West District of UTC, part of the overall fast-growing University Town Center area in north Sarasota County, on the line with east Manatee County, is getting a new tenant: Norman Love Confections.

The location will be the sixth chocolate salon for the prominent chocolatier. The company is currently renovating a 2,000-square-foot end-cap space, with an outdoor patio, opposite California Pizza Kitchen, according to a statement. It’s scheduled to open by the end of the 2020 first quarter, the release adds.

The location will offer the company’s handcrafted chocolates, plus other desserts and baked goods. It will also offer a selection of wines, and will be the first Norman Love Confections to offer an interactive dessert experience: pastry chefs will showcase their artistic expression and create beautiful ‘desserts of art’ while engaging guests in a fun, conversational and gastronomic dessert experience.

“We are thrilled to open Norman Love Confections at UTC, introducing the greater Sarasota-Manatee area to our established, beloved brand of confections, desserts, gelato, bakery items and more,” Norman Love Confections founder and owner Norman Love says in the release. “In the evenings, we are introducing an entirely new concept as we transform the Chocolate Salon into a chocolate theatre of sorts, offering our new experiential dessert experience.

Founded in 2001 by Norman and Mary Love, Norman Love Confections creates and distributes handcrafted artisanal chocolates from its corporate headquarters in Fort Myers. It has locations in Fort Myers, Estero and Naples, including a pastry shop and café at Whole Foods Market in Fort Myers salon. Norman Love Confections chocolates and desserts are offered on 18 Princess Cruises’ ships.