What Hampton Chocolate Factory does

Hampton Chocolate Factory is an artisan chocolate and dessert company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company is family-owned and operated by Austin and Grant Gappelberg following a 2022 second-generation leadership transition. Its product portfolio spans handcrafted chocolates, chocolate-covered strawberries, ice cream novelties, and the viral Giant Ice Cream Cone format, with newer extensions including the Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cup launched in 2025. The company operates a single flagship retail store at Sparkman Wharf in Tampa, supported by seasonal locations in Westhampton Beach and Greenport in the Hamptons, and is planning a Naples, Florida location for 2026.

The business generates revenue through three primary channels: direct-to-consumer retail at its physical stores, nationwide e-commerce shipping of chocolates and gift boxes priced in the $40-$80 range, and a corporate gifting platform serving enterprise clients. Named corporate gifting customers include HWH Law, Tab Bank, PNC, Kendra Scott, AON, Raymond James, Marriott, and Seminole Hard Rock, spanning legal, financial, jewelry, insurance, and hospitality verticals. The company has built significant brand recognition through social media content, with the Giant Ice Cream Cone reportedly generating over 500 million views, which has driven organic demand and tourism to its flagship store.

Hampton Chocolate Factory remains family-funded with no institutional capital, positioning it as a founder-controlled specialty confectioner rather than a venture-backed growth company. The combination of premium pricing, a multi-channel distribution model, and a diversified corporate gifting client base across multiple industries provides some revenue stability, while the single-brand, single-flagship-store structure limits scale efficiency. The viral social media presence is the company's most differentiated asset, translating cultural attention into consumer traffic and B2B gifting demand.

Name

Hampton Chocolate Factory

Legal name

Hampton Chocolate Factory

Website

https://hamptonchocolatefactory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hampton Chocolate Factory is a family-owned, Tampa-based artisan chocolate and dessert company founded in 2014, operating a flagship retail store, seasonal Hamptons locations, e-commerce shipping, and a corporate gifting platform serving enterprise clients across multiple industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Artisan Chocolates and Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA), Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL)

Keywords

• Artisan chocolate production
• Premium confectionery retail
• Corporate gifting services
• Handcrafted dessert experience
• Soft serve ice cream

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Dessert Sales: Physical retail sales at Tampa flagship store including signature Giant Cone ($39.95), sundaes, shakes, and viral desserts. Store hours Mon-Thu 12pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm.
2. E-commerce Chocolate Sales: Online sales of handcrafted chocolates, truffles, gift boxes shipped nationwide. Products include Signature Truffle Collection ($32), The Westhampton ($58), Quogue Gift Boxes ($36-$58), Chocolate Bliss ($82), The Bridgehampton ($74).
3. Corporate Gifting: Bulk corporate orders with customized branding, personalized messages, and multi-address delivery. Includes premium gift boxes with corporate discounts. Rush orders available with under 1-week turnaround.
4. Gift Cards: E-gift cards delivered by email with digital claiming, and physical in-store gift cards via Square.
5. Seasonal/Holiday Collections: Limited edition seasonal gift collections for Valentine's Day and Christmas with premium pricing. Heart Luxury Gift Box ($48), Love Letter Gift Box ($22), Valentine's Small Gift Box ($40), Holiday Happiness Gift Box ($40), Chocolate Christmas Tree Delight ($52).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hampton Chocolate Factory produces and sells handcrafted artisan chocolates, signature experiential desserts, and customized corporate gifts. The company operates a Tampa flagship dessert shop at Sparkman Wharf known for its 5-pound Giant Ice Cream Cone and viral strawberry cup creations, while also selling a full catalog of premium chocolate gift boxes, truffles, and seasonal collections online with nationwide shipping. A dedicated corporate gifting portal supports multi-address bulk orders with custom branding, e-gifting, and personalized messaging for enterprise clients.

Product overview

Hampton Chocolate Factory is a family-owned artisan chocolate and dessert company founded in 2014, now operated by brothers Austin and Grant Gappelberg. The company operates as a unified luxury chocolate and dessert destination offering two interconnected product lines: (1) Artisan Chocolate Products including Signature Truffle Collection, The Westhampton, Quogue Gift Boxes, Chocolate Bliss, The Bridgehampton, Holiday/Christmas collections (Holiday Happiness Gift Box, Chocolate Christmas Tree Delight), and Valentine's Day collections (Heart Luxury Gift Box, Love Letter Gift Box), along with homemade marshmallows and gift cards; and (2) Signature Desserts and Experiences at their Tampa flagship including The Giant Ice Cream Cone (5-pound viral sensation), Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cup, Strawberry Shortcake Sundae, Fudge Brownie Bliss Sundae Cup, Cookie Dough King, Pick n' Mix Swedish candy experience, and Giant Cup/Birthday Cone variants. The company also provides Corporate Gifting Services through a multi-address gifting portal, bulk orders with custom branding, and personalized gift concierge. Event Catering services include Liege Belgian Waffle Bar, Artisan S'mores Bar, and Hot Chocolate Bar. Products are available online nationwide with nationwide shipping and at their Tampa Sparkman Wharf flagship location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards delivered via email, available for purchase online with digital claiming.
• In-Store Gift Cards Physical gift cards available for purchase in-store via Square.
• Liege Belgian Waffle Bar Catering Event catering service featuring authentic Liege Belgian waffles with premium toppings.
• Artisan S'mores Bar Catering Event catering service featuring a gourmet artisan s'mores bar setup.
• Hot Chocolate Bar Catering Event catering service featuring a customizable hot chocolate bar.
• Signature Truffle Collection A curated collection of 12 handcrafted artisan truffles priced at $32.00, sold as a premium chocolate gift.
• The Westhampton An assorted cylinder gift box of premium chocolates priced at $58.00, one of the best-selling items.
• Quogue Small Gift Box A compact luxury gift box of assorted chocolates priced at $36.00.
• Quogue Luxury Gift Box (Medium) A medium-sized luxury gift box of premium gourmet chocolates priced at $58.00.
• Chocolate Bliss A premium chocolate gift collection priced at $82.00 retail ($61.00 corporate rate), positioned for corporate gifting and special occasions.
• The Bridgehampton A chocolate caramel gift box priced at $74.00 retail ($44.00 corporate rate), featuring premium caramel and chocolate combinations.
• Heart Luxury Gift Box A heart-shaped luxury gift box of chocolates for Valentine's Day, priced at $48.00.
• Love Letter Gift Box A romantic Valentine's Day gift box featuring chocolate shaped like love letters, priced at $22.00.
• Valentine's Small Gift Box A compact Valentine's Day gift box of assorted chocolates priced at $40.00.
• Holiday Happiness Gift Box A festive Christmas-themed gift box of assorted chocolates priced at $40.00.
• Chocolate Christmas Tree Delight A Christmas tree-shaped chocolate gift box, a holiday best seller priced at $52.00.
• Homemade Marshmallows Gift (Vanilla Bean) Handcrafted in-house vanilla bean marshmallows packaged as a gift option.
• The Giant Ice Cream Cone A signature 5-pound soft-serve ice cream cone over 2 feet tall, built on two stacked waffle cones drenched in melted chocolate. Priced at $39.95 with reservations required; free if completed in under 8 minutes as part of the Giant Cone Challenge.
• Dubai Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cup A signature viral dessert cup featuring fresh strawberries with pistachio kataifi, pure melted milk, dark or white chocolate, pistachio crème, and handcrafted whipped cream.
• Strawberry Shortcake Sundae Cone A signature sundae cone made with vanilla ice cream, homemade strawberry cookie crumble, premium strawberry syrup, and pure white chocolate.
• Fudge Brownie Bliss Sundae Cup A signature sundae cup made with chocolate ice cream, fudgy brownie chunks, gourmet chocolate sauce, premium caramel syrup, and pure milk chocolate.
• Cookie Dough King Sundae A signature sundae made with homemade cookie dough, part of the flagship's signature sundae lineup.
• Giant Birthday Cone A giant cone variant covered with rainbow sprinkles and topped with a candle for birthday celebrations.
• Giant Cup A giant cup dessert standing as tall as the Giant Cone for customers who prefer a cup over a cone.
• Pick n' Mix A Swedish-style pick and mix candy experience at the Tampa flagship featuring various gummies, marshmallows, and chocolates displayed in clear bins.
• Multi-Address Corporate Gifting Portal A self-service corporate gifting platform enabling companies to send gifts to 1,000+ recipients with individual addresses, e-gifting options, and personalized messages.
• Bulk Corporate Orders Customized bulk gift orders featuring company branding for events, offices, or celebrations, shipped to a single destination with corporate volume discounts.
• Customized Gift Concierge A full-service gifting experience allowing companies to design gifts with their branding and personalized messages, with rush orders available under 1-week turnaround.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 million revenue in first year of operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• City of Tampa / Mayor Jane CastorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Celebrated the Fifth Annual 813 Day with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor in 2024, demonstrating community involvement and local government relationships.
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino TampacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Selected as the Valentine's Day gift of choice for VIP guests at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa in 2023. This hospitality partnership positions Hampton Chocolate Factory as a premium gifting option for luxury hospitality brands.
• ODI Conference (30th Annual Conference for Administrative Excellence)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Featured as a gift provider at the 30th Annual ODI Conference for Administrative Excellence in 2023, serving corporate administrative professionals.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Vosges Haut-Chocolat: Chicago-based premium artisan chocolatier founded by Katrina Markoff. Direct comparable: high-end bonbons, truffles, experiential retail, e-commerce nationwide shipping, and luxury gifting — same product positioning and channel mix as Hampton Chocolate Factory.
• Compartés Chocolatier: Los Angeles-based artisan chocolate brand known for premium bonbons, gift boxes, and viral product launches (e.g., Dubai chocolate-inspired bars). Comparable to Hampton Chocolate Factory on premium positioning, social-media-driven dessert innovation, and gifting focus.
• Mast Brothers: Brooklyn-based bean-to-bar artisan chocolate maker with flagship retail and premium bar/truffle assortment sold via e-commerce. Directly comparable on small-batch premium chocolate, retail-anchored brand, and gifting assortment.
• Lake Champlain Chocolates: Vermont-based artisan chocolate maker with premium truffles, gift boxes, and nationwide shipping. Comparable to Hampton Chocolate Factory on premium positioning, gift-box assortment, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce distribution.
• Sugarfina: Luxury candy/confectionery gifting brand known for 'grown-up candy' and corporate gifting. Directly comparable on luxury gifting assortment, premium pricing, e-commerce, and B2B corporate gifting channel.
• Jacques Torres Chocolate: New York-based artisan chocolate maker with retail shops, premium bonbons, and nationwide gifting. Comparable on premium handmade positioning, retail flagship model, and chocolate assortment.
• Dandelion Chocolate: San Francisco-based single-origin bean-to-bar chocolate maker with retail cafés and nationwide shipping. Comparable on premium positioning, small-batch production, flagship retail experiences, and e-commerce gifting.

Broad incumbents

• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory: Public franchisor and manufacturer of premium chocolate with retail store footprint. Comparable on chocolate retail/gifting assortment but operates at much larger scale and franchise model rather than family-operated single store.
• Ghirardelli Chocolate Company: Established premium chocolate brand with retail destinations, gift assortments, and nationwide distribution. Overlaps with Hampton Chocolate Factory on premium positioning and gifting assortment but operates at significantly larger scale and broader category.
• Godiva Chocolatier: Global luxury chocolate brand with boutiques, premium gift boxes, and corporate gifting. Comparable on luxury positioning and corporate gifting channel, but operates as a global incumbent rather than a family-owned artisan brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hampton.chocolate.factory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hampton-chocolate-factory
• Instagraminstagram.com/hamptonchocolatefactory
• TikToktiktok.com/@hamptonchocolatefactory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hampton Chocolate Factory