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The Rise of Li-Lac Chocolates
Li-Lac Chocolates dates back to 1923 when George Demetrious, a native of Greece who studied the art of chocolate making in France, emigrated to New York and opened his shop at 120 Christopher Street in the heart of Greenwich Village. He created and perfected recipes, steadily building a loyal customer following.
When trendy ingredients and mass production emerged as the model for the modern chocolatier, Li-Lac remained true to its history and tradition, eschewing automation and trendiness. Self-proclaimed “stubbornly old-fashioned,” the business is true to its roots.
Li-Lac Chocolates makes old-world artisan chocolates in small batches using original recipes, time-honored techniques, and quality ingredients. The selection of fresh chocolate—more than 140 items—is one of the largest in America, and everything is made by hand locally, in New York City, to guarantee freshness.
The Role of the OU
Despite years of success, Li-Lac Chocolates recognized customers still had an unfulfilled need. Consumers wanted a kosher certified version of that same small-batch, high-quality chocolate.
Partnering with OU—the world’s largest and most widely recognized kosher certification agency—to certify their full line of offerings as kosher helped the company further expand their business.
Of this partnership, Anwar Khoder, Li-Lac’s master chocolatier, said: “Kosher certification, especially from that well-known and trusted kosher agency, opens new markets and creates growth potential that otherwise wouldn’t exist. In addition, being Kosher certified is a sign of quality and provides customers with reassurance that the company maintains certain high standards.”
Companies Like Li-Lac Recognize the Kosher Advantage
“Often labels will sport an ‘O’ with a ‘U’ inside. This is the stamp of approval of the largest kosher-certification body, and basically means there’s no need to read the label….” — Wall Street Journal
Over $150 billion in kosher certified products are consumed annually and there is clear evidence that kosher symbols boost market share—a kosher product will outperform a non-Kosher product by 20%.
Li-Lac Chocolates knows this—they recognize the kosher certification as an extremely important tool to enhance their products’ marketability.
Shoppers are clearly looking for kosher products, but they don’t have time to constantly research and read labels. For this reason, those who consume Kosher goods are loyal to brands, like Li-Lac Chocolates, that deliver a high-quality product that meets their needs. These returning customers are likely to share information with friends, too, ultimately generating more sales and leads that increase business.
OU Signifies Quality
Smart brands, like Li-Lac Chocolates, know consistency builds brand loyalty—the chocolate company has proven this with over 90 years of business. And because the OU carefully reviews all ingredients and production practices before granting its seal, consumers trust the OU seal.
OU certification is a widely recognized symbol of quality by food industry personnel, kosher inspectors, and shoppers. When brands like Li-Lac Chocolates work with OU, their products become an easy first choice, particularly for the kosher consumer.
Nearly a Century of Success
Now, 93 years after the first Li-Lac Chocolates opened, the historic chocolate company has a Kosher certified factory in Brooklyn, 5 stores (with another on the way), and over 140 different OU certified sweets and treats.
The award-winning company is regularly featured in premiere publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, and more, once again proving their success and reputation.
“We use the same recipes with the same ingredients,” owner Anthony Cirone told Forbes. “This is an old style classic chocolate that’s hard to find nowadays.” But Li-Lac is committed to providing the quality product their most longstanding customers expect. “We have generations of families that are coming to us. Literally, we have customers in their 80s who, when they walk in our door on Jane Street, they tell us about when they were schoolgirls at P.S. 3 in St. Luke’s School around the corner, how they used to stop in and buy chocolate.”
