Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore it tucked away in a side alley, towards the centre of Amsterdam, with a little sign pointing you into the doorway. It’s underground, and can easily be missed, but is a very interesting store to actually visit! When going in, you are presented with a video that talks about the superstore and mission behind Tony’s Chocolate, which is ethically sourced. The company itself works hard at being at ending the exploitation that happens within the chocolate industry, while putting human rights at the centre of their business. It’s been a brand that I have been aware of for quite some time!
But, onto the store itself. Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore is a bit more than a normal shop. Once you get through the entrance, which normally has a chocolate bar to sample, you will get to see an entire wall of their different bars. Pulling a lever will have a bar appear in front of you, falling from the stack, so you can purchase it. This wall is SO cool. It reminds me of something from Willy Wonka, with their levers. Next to this area, there is a look into the chocolate factory, where you can see a machine, robots and workers all creating chocolate bars. Along the wall of Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore, you can actually see options to make your own chocolate bar, picking the chocolate, different flavors, and customising the wrappers. There is a giant timer box that lets you know how long the wait is (which was nearly 3 hours when we went!), but it’s a very cool option.
The rest of the store sells more of their products from Advent Calendars to different bars, to smaller chocolate treats. Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore does have The World’s Smallest Chocolate Museum at one side, next to a giant photo wall, which talks about how they started and shows off a few of their collabs with other brands like Brewdog. There is also a wall dedicated to their mission and how they are making a positive impact on the world. I particularly also enjoyed their half and half bars, where you could pick two half bars and put them in a box to purchase, getting one full bar of two types.
Tony’s Chocolonely Superstore isn’t a huge place and doesn’t take a particularly long time to explore, but it’s one of those things that, if you are in the area, you should check it out. If you do purchase a delicious chocolate treat, you can also take your receipt to a nearby bar and get a discount on drinks there, which is a nice idea.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!
