Ghirardelli Starts Renovations on Second Flagship Store
Lindt & Sprungli’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. has begun renovations to a second flagship store at Ghirardelli Square, a city block of restaurants and shops in San Francisco.
The project will highlight Ghirardelli's legacy in the U.S. and the company's deep roots in San Francisco that date back to the 1850s, according to a recent news release.
In 2022, the company unveiled a reimagined Chocolate Experience Store — Ghirardelli's other flagship retail space at Ghirardelli Square. That location reopened to the public in last May.
The new location, at Ghirardelli's Original Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, will be closed during renovation until its reopening in the summer of 2023.
Introduced in 1966, the Original Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop was Ghirardelli's first location that focused on sundaes, according to the release. The renovated store format will showcase the brand's history in chocolate, sundae making and other fountain and bakery items including milkshakes, hot chocolate, brownies, cookies and hot fudge.
Other notable aspects of the renovated store will include 15 different kinds of sundaes, including Ghirardelli's popular hot fudge sundae, a replica San Francisco cable car that doubles as a seating area, and antique chocolate making equipment on display.
"We can't wait to invite the public to see our redesigned shop, which will blend modern design elements with our brand's unmatched history,” Joel Burrows, Ghirardelli's president and CEO, said in the release, adding that 2023 marks Ghirardelli's 171st year operating in the city of San Francisco.
Among other elements of the store, visitors will be able to see the original, 100-year-old Ghirardelli “G” on display, which for decades sat atop the building as part of the iconic Ghirardelli sign that lit up for the city’s travelers and locals.
To make the sign look as it did back in 1923, it is being rewired and outfitted with more efficient, low-wattage bulbs. The sign atop the building today is equipped with a color-changing color kinetics LED system that enables each letter to independently display a variety of colors.
In addition to the remodeled Chocolate Experience Store and the takeout-oriented Ghirardelli-On-The-Go location (which serves a more streamlined menu designed for takeout), Ghirardelli will also operate a pop-up store at the square during the construction process to limit disruption.
Design of the multi-phase renovation project has been led by Bay Area firm Eight Inc.
"Ghirardelli Square has been home to our brand since the 19th Century. The complex is now on The National Historic Register of Places," added Burrows. "It's truly one of San Francisco's must-see destinations. I think locals and visitors alike will love our new space."
