ORDERS & SHIPPING INFORMATION: Frequently Asked Questions

We use USPS for all orders at this time and cost is determined by weight, size, and delivery address.  In hotter seasons, more protective packaging will have to be added, hense the shipping cost differences through the year. Expidited orders are available for an additional fee. Contact us for additional details. Most orders are shipped within 1 -2  business days.

We ship on Tuesdays and Fridays. We limit shipping to these days to ensure maximum freshness and quality when they arrive.

Chocolates don't love sun. Choose an address where the package will wait for the recipient in a cool, shaded area (business addresses and mailrooms are good, front porches are bad). While we want our customers to be more than satisfied with their Bayfront Chocolates experience, we cannot be liable for delays in delivery, wrong addresses, and high temperatures at drop off locations.

You will receive an email on the day your package(s) ship from our location. This email will contain the tracking number for the package(s), so you'll know when your goodies are scheduled to arrive. If there are any changes or delays, we will contact you. The tracking link will display information once the package is picked up.

If you'd like to delay your shipping to a future date, please add a comment in the 'note to seller' section when you are checking out, and we'll do our best to accomodate. We only ship on Tuesdays and Fridays to ensure maximum freshness and quality when they arrive to you.

Orders are shipped via UPS or USPS and generally arrive within 2 -3 business days. For large orders (10 boxes or more), we can use your FedEx/UPS account. Email us at orders@bayfrontchocolates.com

No, you will need to create a separate order for each delivery address.

Yes, we offer rush shipping. You can see your shipping options when you check out. Please keep in mind that we only ship on Tuesdays and Fridays.

We currently do not offer gift-wrapping, but we do offer gift notes, which you can write during the checkout process.

We ship with FedEx  internationally for an additional fee. To ship internationally, please contact us.

For orders less than 10 boxes, online is best. If you are needing a larger quantity or an invoice, contact us. We can and do offer bulk discounts, especially for big/special events!

Yes, you can select the individual items in a box by contacting us.

Yes, we love doing custom orders for client gifts, weddings, galas, annual meetings, and more. We love creating a specialized flavor/look for your special occasion. Contact us at melissa@bayfrontchocolates.com for more information.

Yes, contacct us. A rush fee may be added to turnaround the projects sooner than 4 weeks.

 There is a $500 minimum on custom chocolate orders. 

 Every event and gift recipient is different. Talk to us! We can work together to curate an experience people will love and remember.  

 We sell Artisan Chocolate Truffles, Caramels, and Filled Chocolates. 

Occationally, there will be additional limited-time items available such as Chocolate Cigars, Turtles, and dipped pretzels.  We would love to talk to you about creating something special and unique for your specific occation. 

Chocolate should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place which is free of strong oders. Ideally, chocolates are best stored in low humidity (less than 55%), between 57 and 64 degrees (Fahrenheit), so refrigeration is not neccessary. However, if you live in a warm climate, the fridge may be your best option (but make sure your chocolate is stored in an air-tight container). Chocolate absorbs odors easily, so keep it away from anything with a strong smell (garlic, vanilla, scented oils, etc.).

We have used Barry Callebout Chocolate since 1994. They are a family-owned company who processes the chocolate in Lebbeke, Belgium. It is also made in Ontario, Canada and Chicago, Illinois.  

The ganache is the center of a chocolate truffle made with chocolate and homemade creme fraiche (simply cream and buttermilk - cultured) in its simplest form. 

We  use the best local ingredients, and, if it can't be sourced locally we use the best ingredients from around the world. Our main ingredient is obviously chocolate which has been sourced from premium Belgian coverture chocolate, made from sustainably sourced cocoa beans at plantations in West Africa (Ivory Coast, Ghana) and Indonesia. Barry Callebaut, the home of the finest Belgian chocolate, has been our supplier of choice since 1994. Their chocolate is a consistenly high quality, sustainable chocolate.   

Yes, the chocolate we use from Callebout is Fair Trade Cerrified and non-GMO. Barry Callebaut is leading a movement to make sustainable chocolate the norm with its Forever Chocolate strategy.  We are very proud to be teaming up with them and helping this cause.   

When possible, we use organic ingredients in our chocolates and confections. The cream we use is from Farmer's Creamery of Mio, Michigan, a family-owned, local company who makes organic dairy products. We source most of our ingredients from family-owned companies within a 100-mile radius of our main location in Traverse City, Michigan.

At this time, there are no products classified as vegan.  We are working on some vegan dark chocolate bars to be available soon.  All truffles and caramels are made with fresh cream so they are not vegan.

 We make every delicious truffle, caramel, and filled chocolate by hand, in micro batches at a certified commercial kichen in Traverse City, Michigan.

A few of our chocolates contain alcohol reductions of less than 5%: Grand Marnier, Bailey's Irish Cream, Chambord, Cognac, and Bourbon.

Since our truffles are (purposfully) not made with preservatives, we suggest eating them as soon as possible. Depending on the product purchased, there may also be a “Best By” date on the bottom of the package. For truffles, the shelf life is typically 2 - 3 weeks. For other confections, the range is usually 1-2 months.

Almost all products are made with a minimum of 70.4% Belgian Chocolate. Ingredents:  

• Belgian Dark chocolate Couverture (Min cocoa 70.4%)
• Sugar
• Cocoa butter
• Cocoa mass
• Emulsifier; Soya lecithin
• Natural vanilla
• Certified Kosher

The chocolate is GLUTEN FREE and contains SOYA and DAIRY. Suitable for VEGETARIANS. Not suitable for VEGANS. Does not contain nuts. However, products may contain traces of nuts due to cross contamination during production.

Other ingredients used in our products can include:

• Tree nuts (pistachios, coconut and hazelnuts)
• Organic mint oil
• Organic vanilla
• Organic grass-fed cow heavy cream, milk, buttermilk, and butter
• Organic pasture-raised eggs
• Organic raw sugar
• Organic cocoa powder
• Candy Melts (Sugar, hydrogenated vegetable fat (palm kernel and/or palm), cocoa powder, non-fat dry milk, whole milk powder, whey powder (milk), soy lecithin (as emulsifier), salt, vanillin (artificial flavor).

All  our chocolate and caramel products are handmade in small batches and we are careful to thoroughly clean all equipment and our facility between each session. However, we still cannot absolutely guarantee against cross contamination. 

We are Bayfront Chocolates, and love the water and sunsets (and the logo reminds us of a truffle emerging from a chocolate sea).  We reside in Traverse City Michigan, surrounded by water and also spend part of the year in the beautiful South Tampa Bay area. We feel our name and logo hits all the marks and makes us happy!

No. After owning a retail establishment for over a decade, this is our happy place -  outdoor markets, weddings, convensions, and working virtually with customers to create their perfect experience. I would love to work with you!

For us, inspiration comes from everywhere: our travels, our childhood, our friends, our surroundings, our customers, and more.

While we don't think there's any wrong way to eat chocolate, the next time you taste a Bayfront Chocolate, bite a piece off (don’t chew or swallow), smell the mid-section of the chocolate, swirl the chocolate around your mouth, and let the chocolate heat up to body temperature.   Move it around. Give it a tour of your mouth. Now start chewing. Savor it. A fun exercise is to experience a bite for 20 seconds. You won't regret it! 

Probably a caramel & chocolate almond mousse cigar-  complex, specialized, and fun.

A chocolate maker processes cacao from bean to bar and the end product is a chocolate bar or equivalent. Chocolatiers take those chocolate bars as an ingredient to transform them into confections like truffles.