FAQ
Where is your store located?
Ventura Harbor Village Shopping Center
1559 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 109, Ventura, CA 93001
On the waterfront walk between Brophy Brothers and the pool.
(805) 535-4167
Hours: 11am - 8 pm daily and until 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. NOTE: customization stops one hour before close.
Open for Takeout and Mail Order: Drop in or order online anytime and pick up at our store during open hours above. You can also have your order shipped nationwide by Priority Mail.
How much does shipping cost?
| Order Price | Priority Mail | 1 Day Express |
|---|---|---|
| $0 - $69.99 | $9.99 | $54.99 |
| $70 + | Free | $54.99 |
| Pickup is Free |
How long does shipping take?
We offer Priority Mail (3 days) and Overnight Express shipping (1 day). Orders generally ship within two days of being placed. Note on summer shipping: we ship with ice packs when necessary and orders placed Thursday or later ship the following Monday to avoid being in transit over a hot weekend.
Pickup orders are ready the next day at the latest. You will receive an email confirmation that your order is ready for pickup. If you need your order sooner please call (805) 535-4167.
I do not see the Pickup option at checkout?
The Pickup option does not currently work with PayPal, Apple Pay and ShopPay. If that's not it, try checking out as a guest. Sometimes opening a private browser window makes it work. If all else fails, use code "Pickup" at checkout and the shipping charge will be removed. Sorry for any inconvenience while we troubleshoot this. We thank you for understanding.
How many toppings can I add to my custom chocolate?
Your custom chocolate comes with four toppings, and after that, each topping is 50 cents. There is a 12 topping limit. Please keep in mind that a bar only has so much space so if you add 12 toppings, you may only get one of each.
What are the ingredients? Do you have vegan chocolate?
Dark Chocolate 55% (Vegan): Cacao Beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin and vanilla beans
Milk Chocolate: Pure cane sugar, full cream milk, cocoa butter, cacao beans, sunflower lecithin, vanilla beans
White Chocolate: Sugar, cocoa butter, milk, sunflower lecithin and pure vanilla
Sugar Free Dark Chocolate: Maltitol, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter, milk fat (butter), soya lecithin, pure vanilla and vanillin (an artificial flavor)
The dark chocolates are vegan. Vegan toppings include all the dried fruit and nuts (except honey roasted peanuts), coconut, coffee beans, bacon bits, all sprinkles, all salts, potato chips, pretzels, smarties, skittles, Happy Birthday plaque, Thank You plaque and Ventura Plaque.
Toppings with no sugar added include almonds, pecans, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, coffee beans and potato chips.
A full list of Topping ingredients can be found here.
Dark chocolate is crafted on equipment also used for milk chocolate and is not suitable for those with milk allergies.
Tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, milk, soy and coconut present in kitchen.
What is the shelf life of your products?
30 days. If you have an unusual amount of self control, after 30 days the chocolate products are still edible but the texture and/or flavor may deteriorate. We recommend airtight storage.
Is your chocolate made with real cocoa butter or hydrogenated vegetable fat or wax, like other popular candy bars?
All our chocolate is made with 100% cocoa butter. We would never dream of using a substitute.
Is your chocolate Fair Trade Certified, non-GMO, and gluten free?
Yes, yes and yes! Our chocolate is made with cocoa that is Fair-Trade Certified by FairTraeUSA.org. It is also non-GMO and gluten free. The toppings vary by topping.
What payment types do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards (including Discover and American Express) and Paypal.
How do I know it is safe to put my payment information into your website?
The Top This Chocolate web-store is hosted by Shopify, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in North America that powers over 200,000 online merchants. All payments are processed through Shopify's SSL Certified PCI compliant secure shopping carts. No one at Top This Chocolate ever has access to customer payment information.
I would like to be a Chocologist in your store. Are you hiring?
We are currently accepting resumes for Chocologists at our flagship retail store at Ventura Harbor Village, in California. We'll train you in chocolate! We are also currently seeking a store manager. The ideal Chocologist is an enthusiastic problem-solver who enjoys making creative suggestions that will make each customer happy. Prior food experience preferred. Email resumé or this application to info@TopThisChocolate.com.
Do you do corporate and large custom orders for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries?
Yes. We have done logos on chocolate bars and chocolate business cards. We also do wedding favors, gender reveal chocolates, bachelorette parties and more. For more information, please email us at: info@TopThisChocolate.com.
To order chocolate business cards click HERE. Contact us for custom toppings or larger orders.
To put a logo on chocolate there is a one-time time artwork setup fee and your logo will be kept on file for future orders. At least two weeks lead time is required (possibly more before the holidays) for us to have a logo printed in cocoa butter color. Once a logo is on file, there is no minimum chocolate order. We add 50 cents per chocolate item with logo to the regular price.
Artwork Setup Fee:
One color logo: $185
Two color logo : $270
Three color logo: $350
Are your products Kosher?
No. While the chocolate is kosher, Top This Chocolate is not a kosher certified operation. The toppings vary as to kosher status. If you would like to see Top This Chocolate become kosher certified, please contact us and let us know. Email Info@TopThisChocolate.com
Your “About Us” page mentions the founder is a USC alum but how does the company feel about cross-town rival UCLA?
The founder attended both UCLA and USC and loves them both.
UCLA provided a stellar education but USC got the mention because of the instrumental role it played in the development and launch of Top This Chocolate.
Is it true that chocolate is good for you?
Top This Chocolate officially makes no claims but there sure have been a lot of recent scientific studies on the subject.
Here are some articles that discuss the potential benefits including an article in Time Magazine in which five out of five experts recommended eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate for benefits including cardiovascular, blood pressure, anti-inflammatory and stress.
Should I Eat Dark Chocolate? - Time Magazine
To Improve a Memory, Consider Chocolate - New York Times
Is there a worldwide chocolate shortage? What will that do to prices?
Top This Chocolate reads a lot of chocolate industry news and for every headline we see about a shortage, we see an article about what farmers are doing about it, such as adopting more sustainable practices and planting trees with higher outputs. We think the media may be overreacting. However, demand for chocolate is rising all over the globe and it remains to be seen what will happen with prices. We are crossing our fingers that there is never a shortage of something as wonderful as chocolate.
My question wasn't answered here.
If you don't tell us what we left off of this FAQ page, we will never know. Contact us here or email us at Info@TopThisChocolate.com. We love hearing from you.
