Bob’s Chocolate Cafe in Francestown had its grand opening on Saturday, with local residents flocking to the historic barn  at 1 Main St. for cappuccino, bagels, pastry and handmade chocolates.

“Originally, we wanted to have a chocolate factory in this space,” said owner Bob Bitterli. “That was the plan when we moved here. But in talking to people in town over the past year or so, everyone said, ‘Please, please open a coffee shop!’ So that’s what we did.” 

Customers lined up outside the shop for the grand opening.

“We sold out of pretty much everything,” Bitterli said around noon. “It will take us a few days to restock all our baked goods and chocolate.” 

Bob’s Chocolate Cafe is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cafe is located at 1 Main St. in Francestown, directly across from the Francestown Town Hall. Parking is available in the Town Hall and Town Offices parking lots. 

In 2022, Bitterli and his wife, Judy, purchased Francestown’s historic Levi Woodbury farm, which was built in 1787 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Soon after moving in, the couple began the process of converting the old barn to a fully accessible commercial space.

“That’s what we have been doing for the past 14 months,” Bitterli said. “I converted one of the old rooms downstairs to a space where I can make the chocolates. People can drive by at night and see me down there, painting them by hand. It’s very Zen.” 

Bitterli makes his chocolates all by hand. 

“I do have a machine that melts chocolate so I can do big batches,” Bitterli said. “But I do all the tempering, and all the coloring myself. I just experiment and find things I hope people will like.”

Bitterli started making chocolate by hand during COVID, when the couple was still living in Texas. 

“I started handing chocolates out to neighbors, and everyone said I should sell them, so I started selling them at the farmers’ market in Frisco, Texas, which a suburb of Dallas,” Bitterli said. “We would sell out every time. I could not keep them on the shelves.”

Bitterli, who is chair of Francestown’s Recreation Commission, has been donating boxes of his chocolates to town events for the past two years and building a following of chocolate fans.  The cafe had its soft opening two weeks ago, and in that time, Bitterli and his team have been learning more about what the community wants.

“We did not realize there was also such a demand for a lunch spot. We’re figuring out what we can offer for some light lunches, like some salads and some soups or chilis. We have also discovered there is a much bigger need for specialty coffee than we thought – cappuccino, espresso, macchiato. We have already ordered more cappuccino makers,” Bitterli said. “We’re going to have to expand our offerings a little bit.” 

Bitterli said he also realized quickly that regular toasters were not going to meet demand, and has ordered a commercial toaster. 

One feature of the shop is European-style, communal tables in the lower level. A large table seats 12, while a smaller one seats six. 

“My wife travels all over the world for her work, and she spends a lot of time in Europe. The communal tables have been really well received. People will be drinking their coffee, then someone will come in and see someone they have not seen for year. Last week, we had people walk in who had not see one another for 30 years, and they all still live in the area,” Bitterli said. 

In response to requests from parents of young children, Bitterli has also added low tables where children can draw and paint. 

“People requested it, so we set it up, and its been used every day,” Bitterli said. “This first two weeks has been all about finding out what people need. We’ve had some requests for a breakfast item with more protein, so we’re thinking abut bringing in some kolache (a Czech style pastry with meat.) A lot of people have asked for muffins, so we’ll probably bring in muffins.” 

Bitterli said so far, the cafe has been a huge success, drawing people from surrounding towns as well as from Francestown.

“It’s getting to be a gathering place, a place where people can get reacquainted,” he said.  “It’s getting people out of the house.  It’s creating community. This is exactly what we are hoping for.” 

At Saturday’s grand opening, customer Marsha Dixon said the opening of Bob’s Chocolate Cafe has been transformative for Francestown. 

“This has just been wonderful for this community. People walk in here and see friend and neighbors and stay and visit. It brings people together, ” she said. “It’s something every community needs.”