LEESBURG, VA — After years of farmers markets, shared kitchens and temporary spaces, The Chocolate Palette finally has a place of its own in Leesburg.
A ribbon cutting was held Thursday, Sept. 17, to mark the grand opening of the small artisan chocolate and dessert shop at 212A Loudoun Street SE.
The Chocolate Palette specializes in European-style sipping chocolates and handcrafted desserts. For owner Cheryl June, the Leesburg storefront represents the latest step in a business she started eight years ago.
June launched The Chocolate Palette in 2018, selling sipping chocolates and Danish pancakes at the Purcellville Farmers Market. Working outdoors eventually lost some of its appeal, particularly during the colder months, and she later subleased space from an ice cream shop for four seasons. That arrangement ended in March 2023.
June continued building the business while working as manager of SimplyBe Coffee and leasing its commercial kitchen, all while watching for an opportunity to establish a permanent location.
“As manager of SimplyBe Coffee, I kept up with my brand by leasing the coffee shops’s commercial kitchen, always keeping my eye on locations for rent,” June said, in reference to finding a permanent space. “It is a bit surreal, but at the same time it feels completely natural since I have been working in spaces temporarily for years. The most excitng part of this space is that it is my own. I never have to hide things away at the end of the day or pack up at the end of the season.”
Now, instead of packing up a farmers market stand or working around someone else’s business, June has a storefront in Leesburg that she can call her own.
She said affordability will remain an important part of the business. Her goal is to show customers that high-quality desserts do not necessarily have to carry high prices.
June also plans to offer desserts that accommodate a range of food allergies and intolerances while maintaining the flavor and quality she wants associated with The Chocolate Palette.
The new shop adds another locally owned specialty food business to Leesburg, while giving a Loudoun entrepreneur who got her start at a county farmers market a permanent place to serve customers.
More information is available from The Chocolate Palette at www.thechocolatepalette.org.
