Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? Max Brenner can.
An Israel-based chocolate store, Max Brenner Chocolate shop is set to come to Bethesda Row. The company, which has full-scale restaurants in several U.S. locations, including New York City, Las Vegas and Boston, will return to its chocolate roots with a sweets-only shop in Bethesda. This location will be the first in the company’s chocolate-only U.S. expansion plan.
“We are already in large cities, so moving out to the suburbs will be interesting for us because it has various possibilities,” said Macae Lintelman, Max Brenner’s marketing director.
Max Brenner features classic handmade chocolate creations such as hot and cold chocolate drinks, fondue, crepes, fudge cakes and, of course, the beloved bonbons. The chocolate bar will also serve some unorthodox choices like chocolate pizza, which was featured on the Food Network series “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”.
The Bethesda location will open next to Cosi in the old Ritz Camera store in mid-June. Max Brenner expects to fit perfectly in the Bethesda food scene.
“There are a lot of young families who would love Max Brenner, as well as a lot of couples,” Lintelman said. “It’s a perfect romantic dining spot.”
Stephanie Coppula, the director of marketing and communications of Bethesda Urban Partnership, agrees that Max Brenner will fit perfectly in Bethesda Row because Bethesda is known to have a unique restaurant community.
The company, advertised as “Chocolate by the Bald Man,” was founded as a retail shop in Israel in 1996 by Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner. It is now the second largest food and beverage company in Israel, with more than 40 chocolate bars all over the world.
“It’s a great idea to have Max Brenner in Bethesda because it is the best place on the planet,” said junior Jessie Mann, a frequent visitor of the Max Brenner restaurant in New York City. “But it is also a terrible idea because since it is so deliciously tempting, everyone will gain 20 pounds.”
The idea of Max Brenner’s concept is “chocolate culture”—incorporating fashion, nostalgia and romance to create a unique experience for everyone, Lintelman said. The store aims to bring chocolate to more aspects than just the food. For example, the ceiling of the restaurant in Tel Aviv is lined with pipes that appear to be filled with chocolate to transport the costumers to a chocolate factory. This chocolate bar is sure to turn anyone into a chocolate-lover.
“Everyone loves chocolate no matter where they live,” Lintelman said. “We are really happy to be opening up in Bethesda because it has a lot to offer and we noticed a little lack of chocolate, so we thought we’d bring it to you.”
