Atlanta, GAChocolatiers and Candy Shops

Xocolatl is a bean-to-bar micro-factory in a Krog Street Market stall, where Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt, who lived in Costa Rica working with cacao farmers, make pure single-origin dark chocolate bars. The whole process happens in the shop, from hand-cracking the beans and winnowing the shells to stone-grinding for days, and many bars hold nothing but cacao and organic cane sugar. Order a single-origin dark bar, or one finished with sea salt.

Bitzel's Chocolate opened in Suwanee in 2024 as a shop built around watching chocolate get made: visitors walk through an artificial cacao forest and along a path called the journey of chocolate, looking through glass walls at production, and the shop offers workshops and tastings. Owner Ray Bitzel and chief chocolatier Sabrina Coombs turn out truffles, bonbons and chocolate bunnies. Order a box of truffles and a few bonbons.

Chamberlain's has been making chocolate since 1986 and will dip almost anything in it, from gummy bears to strawberries, while its house-made ganaches fill truffles, creams, caramels and toffees. The Roswell store also hosts make-your-own chocolate bar events and chocolate-making nights for adults. Order a box of truffles and caramels, and a few chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Natalya and Art Shapiro started making their chocolates in 2008 and sell them from their Roswell shop, where the chocolates are made in small batches. Take a chef's selection box of brightly colored chocolates, or build a box from flavors like salted caramel, espresso and mango passion; the shop also sells truffles and cakes. Order a build-your-own box, starting with the mango passion.