Make Chocolate Fun Again: Mother & Daughter Open Kohcoa Gourmet Chocolate Bar in Beachwood Place

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – For Ardelia Holmes and her 13-year-old daughter, Cherish, the move wasn’t long in terms of distance, but it was important.

In December 2020, the duo opened a pop-up store, operating from a table in a lobby at Beachwood Place, selling a creation called ‘loaded hot chocolate’. The cocoa drink with sweet, mouth-watering toppings became such a hit with shoppers that on June 13, with a significantly expanded menu, the Holmes opened their business, Kohcoa (pronounced as “cocoa”) Gourmet Chocolate Bar, in a shopping center storefront. , located on the first floor, near Saks Fifth Avenue.

In this store, lovers of decadent desserts will come across a range of products for sale that are unlikely to be seen anywhere else.

“Cherish is very creative,” Ardelia Homes said of her daughter who, even at a young age, is a partner in the business and responsible for putting together many of the store’s highlights. A glance at the company’s website, thekohcoashop.com, will give a good idea of ​​the creativity of Cherish and her mother, and continue to be in the design of new delicacies.

On the website, items such as the Cookie Monster Cupcake and the Milkshake (both with blue chocolate, whipped cream and several cookies); Red Velvet Chicken ‘n Waffles Cupcake; the Birthday Cake Milkshake (with sprinkles, whipped cream and two cupcakes); and the Oreo Funnel Cake are pictured next to each other.

“We’re always thinking of new things,” Ardelia Holmes said, promising more goodies will always come on the menu. In fact, for the store’s grand opening celebration on Saturday (July 10), the menu will even include, for $ 24, a 24-karat Kohcoa Milkshake, featuring real edible gold.

An event organizer for several years, Holmes said she and her four children, annoyed at being confined to their homes during the pandemic, had tried making various chocolate treats. “When I was working as an event planner, for weddings and stuff, I dipped strawberries in chocolate, so I did that before,” she said. From this pandemic-induced experimentation with Cherish, the idea of ​​opening a pop-up window was born. Beachwood Place had space available and the business opened.

Since opening in a storefront, Holmes has filled the menu with mouth-watering items including donuts (made fresh daily), macaroons, cupcakes, milkshakes, cookies and more. She notes that donuts, cupcakes, and macaroons aren’t the kind found elsewhere, in that they’re stacked with toppings meant to enhance the ordinary.

“Everything we make is fun, colorful and alive,” she said. For this reason, children naturally love a visit to the store.

“We are family oriented,” said Holmes. “It’s something special to do with the kids. It’s like a trip for the kids, without having to go on a trip. It’s almost an amusement park for them.

“We appreciate all the support we have received so far. It’s something different for the Beachwood area, as well as for Greater Cleveland.

Optimist Holmes said every wall in the store was decorated specifically for taking photos. Indeed, on one side, customers will find a wall of flowers and a swing. “We just hope that (the customers) come in, post their Instagram photos and selfies, and have a good time.”

So far, customers have had a great time at the store and have eaten what they buy from Kohcoa. “We have the best macaroons in Greater Cleveland,” said Holmes. “It’s not just me saying that. Our customers tell me. Speaking of baked goods, Holmes said, “We never have them again. We sell them all.

Holmes said Cherish’s creativity was able to flourish as her daughter gained experience in business. Holmes hopes to lead a mentoring program to help other young people learn skills, such as baking, that aren’t taught in schools or absorbed at home in the age of cellphones and TikTok videos.

As for Kohcoa, it is a spelling for cocoa. Holmes said she and her daughter invented another way to make the business fresh and different. After noticing old chocolatiers going bankrupt, Holmes said, “We just wanted to make chocolate fun. We are therefore more colorful to appeal to the youngest, to millennials. Everything is cool and fun. We thought, “We have to reinvent the relationship with chocolate, that’s how we created Kohcoa.”

Kohcoa can be reached by phone at 216-250-2959. The store is open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; from noon to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

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