The Dillsboro Chocolate Factory - Dillsboro, North Carolina - Candy Store and Coffee Shop

The Dillsboro Chocolate Factory is about 17 miles from the Cherokee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Dillsboro, North Carolina. Established in 1999 and relocated in 2004, it is a family owned and operated business.

The factory operates largely as a store that sells various chocolates, sweets, and coffees. Fudge and hand-dipped chocolate confections are made on site. The store also offers gourmet coffees from all over the world, Jelly-Belly jelly beans and Joseph Schmidt truffles. Wi-Fi is available at the store and many visitors can be found sitting out on the front porch with their coffee and laptops.

The fudge made at the Chocolate Factory comes in both regular and sugar free versions. Lots of flavors are available, some more traditional than others. Pumpkin pie and key lime fudge are a couple of odd flavors but chocolate peanut butter and regular fudge round out the traditional group. Amaretto chocolate swirl mixes cherry and almond flavors with vanilla fudge as one of the more decadent options.

Chocolate candies are made using one kind of chocolate, El Ray, from Venezuala. Milk chocolate uses a blend of 41% cacao while dark chocolate uses 58.5%. White chocolate is also available. Customers who want a higher ratio of cacao can special order their chocolates. Hand dipped chocolates use name brand products such as Snyder's pretzels and Nutter Butters. A special ingredient used in some confections is sea salt. Some chocolate covered caramels come with a dash of sea salt on top that creates a sweet and salty flavor.

The coffee bar at the Chocolate Factory includes espresso, flavored coffee, tea and Ghiradelli hot chocolate. The coffees are offered in regular or decaf with a low level of acidity. In addition to ordering a beverage customers can buy ground or whole bean bags of coffee. A few of the coffee flavors available are almond amaretto, caramel kiss and creme brulee.

Dillsboro is a small town of 200 people. It is the origination point of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The railroad runs between Bryson City and Dillsboro along the Tusckasegee River. This trip takes four hours. The railroad is Dillsboro's only claim to fame, appearing in two movies: The Fugitive (Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones) and My Fellow Americans (Jack Lemmon and James Garner).