Edwin Jablonskas really wants people to talk to each other and be present at his restaurant AJ Chocolate House. So much so, that he has plugged up most of the electrical outlets in the dining areas, so people don’t set up camp with their laptops.
“If you want to sit on your laptop and not talk to other people, there are plenty of other places you can go,” said Jablonskas.
AJ Chocolate House is an elevated European-style chocolate cafe. And, yes, that means chocolates (Belgian), as in bon bons. But it also means rich chocolate drinks, cakes and a full menu of sandwiches, crostini, wine, coffee and things (like Belgian waffles) to dip in melted chocolate.
The concept is known for its Tea Towers, with various savory or sweet options and a pot of tea, for roughly $70 (serving three).
It’s a place for business people to have breakfast or lunch meetings, or where fathers can bring their daughters for a tea party. It might be for date night over a glass of wine with charcuterie or a late-night dessert.
In other words, it's a place for people to connect, talk and enjoy something delicious.
“It’s many things at once,” said Jablonskas. “We try to keep people at the restaurants. We do not limit times. We do not try to turn tables. We want people to feel comfortable to stay as long as possible, creating that third-place space that’s really nonexistent.”
This kind of third place, however, is prevalent in Europe. And that’s where AJ Chocolate House was born.
Jablonskas is originally from Lithuania, and his father, Algimantas Jablonskas—that’s where the “AJ” comes from— founded the concept in 2002. It has grown to 25 units across Europe, of which five are franchised.
Edwin’s mother, however, moved to the U.S. when he was young, and he ended up spending most of his summers in Florida. Edwin and his wife, Katherine Jablonskas, ended up settling there, and they decided to extend the family restaurant brand to the U.S.
The process started in 2018, he said, but there was a lot to work out in terms of importing. All of the chocolate, from the bon bons to the cakes, are produced in Europe so the family can keep control of quality, he said.
Then COVID-19 delayed the debut further. But the Jablonskases got the first location open in Winter Park, Florida, in 2023. It’s a flagship in about 2,400 square feet with an elegant interior.
Last year, the couple opened a second unit in New Smyrna Beach, a 1,000-square-foot smaller variation.
AJ Chocolate House has an all-day-cafe menu. | Photo courtesy of AJ Chocolate House.
Now the Jablonskases have launched franchising, hoping the brand will take off now that the systems and supply chain are established.
The initial franchise fee is $35,000, and startup costs range between $300,000 and $750,000, depending on location, the company said. Royalty fees are 6%.
It’s somewhat of a hybrid, in that café sales are boosted by the retail/gift side.
“You can celebrate with chocolate. You can medicate with chocolate. You can congratulate with chocolate. You can apologize with chocolate,” said Edwin.
The top-selling hot chocolate, in fact, is simply pure melted chocolate and steamed milk. Stir and enjoy.
That also means it’s somewhat seasonal. In Florida, AJ Chocolate House uses social media to send out weather alerts announcing when temperatures dip below 72, which (in Florida, at least) makes it hot chocolate season.
Edwin argues the concept would have a longer hot chocolate season in the Pacific Northwest (where the Jablonskases hope to open a location next) or states like Michigan or Wisconsin.
Because so much product is coming from Europe, tariffs have been a bit of a shock, he said.
It hurt when the tariff was 25%, but now they are more reasonable at 10%, he said.
What he hopes for is stability. The uncertainty about tariffs was the greatest challenge, especially as the concept looks to expand.
But Edwin believes the U.S. is lacking in quality, European-style cakes and chocolate. There’s just only so much red velvet cake people can eat, he said. They need more options.
“It’s a market untapped,” he said.