Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aléthea's a family run business?
Can you describe who your customers are?
So tell us a little about your factory-store.
Speaking of your store, you have a very roomy store with lots of lovely display cases. Even the way you display each type in beautiful golden display dish is very special.
And you have an ice cream parlor?
Do you sell all of your products online?
You say that your chocolates are unconditionally guaranteed. What does that mean.
Are there any conditions under which you can't unconditionally guarantee your product?
Do you mention elsewhere on the Aléthea's Chocolates web site about the importance of the "cold pack," and that it be used for delivery to warm climates.
How do you charge for shipping?

Yes, our business got its name from our great grandmother, Aléthea, who was known in Kozani, Greece for her homemade confections. We continued that "homemade" tradition, and produce our own chocolates and confections only from the purest and the finest ingredients. Many of our chocolate creations are hand-dipped, with nearly everything being made by hand the old fashioned way. You can see, smell, and taste the difference when you keep to the traditional old-fashioned techniques we learned from Aléthea. She had the right idea, and it's still the best way to make chocolates today. Modern methods haven't improved on what Aléthea was able to do. So we keep her old fashioned traditions alive in our chocolates that we make today.

Can you describe who your customers are?

Well, we really appeal to the chocolate lover, so that's just about everyone. What's that quote that seems to be all over the Internet? It's something like "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies!" Our customers love chocolate and all things chocolate, and that's probably the best way to sum them up. On the other hand, of course, because we only use the finest and purest of ingredients, I think it's also fair to say that our appeal extends to the true chocolate chocolate connoisseur. We offer very high quality confections. That's no accident.

We buy the best ingredients, and that's half of our secret! The other half of the story is knowing what to do with the ingredients, and we have a lot of experience in that department. Finally, since you asked about our customers, it should be said, that we do have a very loyal following of customers. In fact, not only entire families come here, but generations of them have been coming to our factory-store. Grandparents, parents, children, it's amazing how they all come back. The customers that used to be the kids, the ones that are grown up, and have families of their own bring there kids here. And even when the kids grow up and go away to college or move out of town, they always come back when ever they have the opportunity. It's nice being appreciated in that way. It's a good feeling.

So tell us a little about your factory-store.

Well, it's just that. It's both a factory (where we make all our own confections on premises) and it's a store where we sell everything. We even have a wonderful ice cream parlor. The factory has to absolutely be right here under our supervision. We couldn't have achieved the quality we have if the factory was being run directly under our own supervision. Actually, there's never a time when that's not necessary if your goal is to have your chocolates turn out the right way all the time. Even if you use equipment to assist you, you still have to be there, and keep a watchful eye on the temperature, etc., and there are quite a few things that make a big difference. Perhaps we'll post some of this interesting information online, just so you can be aware of little things we do that make a difference. The bottom line is that you just can't walk away, and come back in hour or two when you are in process of making something like a perfect cherry cordial. I suppose not everyone would know the difference, but we would. And some of our customers would too. And so that's not an option. You have to be there, and keep an eye on things. That's what we do. That's a part of making certain your quality stays where it needs to be. And that's one reason why our factory is right in the same building where we are - so that we can be there and make sure we're doing it right. Our customers also get the advantage of having the freshest product available. And it enables us to make no product every day, because to deliver it to our store, we only have to wait until it cools to the right temperature, before taking it up front to our display cases.

Speaking of your store, you have a very roomy store with lots of lovely display cases. Even the way you display each type in beautiful golden display dish is very special.

Yes, we've had lots of comments on our displays. The cases themselves do remind a lot of people of the way fine jewels are displayed in the best of jewelery stores. And and for those that travel internationally, our cases remind many of the fine glass displays used by the finest chocolate shops in Europe. We think they are appropriate for Aléthea's Chocolates, because we think our quality deserves to displayed this way. It seems fitting.

And you have an ice cream parlor?

Yes, not just an ice cream parlor. We have an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. It's an excellent place sample our "Homemade Truffle Hot Fudge" sauce, which has been enjoyed now for a half a century! If you can't make it in to our ice cream parlor, however, you can always order it online, on our web site.

Do you sell all of your products online?

No, not yet. Perhaps, eventually. We make a lot of different chocolates and confections. No doubt, we'll continue to add more choices to store. Even as it is now, you have a lot of choices. For example, our Gourmet Assortment, which offers forty varieties (in each box) allows you to also select whether you want those forty varieties in light, dark, or light and dark chocolate!

You say that your chocolates are unconditionally guaranteed. What does that mean.

Exactly what it says. They are all unconditionally guaranteed. We can do that because we use only freshest and purest of ingredients, and we know that people love our chocolates. For example, in our "Dark Ginger" is not only made with our finest dark chocolate but also with the world's best ginger (Australian ginger is world's best). It costs us more, but by buying the best ingredients, and knowing what to do with the best ingredients, we can make the best possible product.

Are there any conditions under which you can't unconditionally guarantee your product?

No. Your chocolates are unconditionally guaranteed. We do want you to know however, that if you live in what is considered to be "a warm location" where the temperatures do get on the "warm" side, a "cold pack" must be used in your delivery box. We will add a charge to your shipment to pay for the cold pack ($5.00).

When shipping to a warm climate, a cold pack MUST be used in order for us to guarantee the safe arrival of our chocolates.

Do you mention elsewhere on the Aléthea's Chocolates web site about the importance of the "cold pack," and that it be used for delivery to warm climates.

Yes we do. In fact, there is a link to a "pop-up" page about shipping charges, which has information about how a cold pack must be used in shipping to warm climates. This appears on every page in our shopping cart.

How do you charge for shipping?

Aléthea's Chocolate's online shopping system will automatically calculate the appropriate shipping charges for your location. Also, every product page in our catalog has a link to a "pop-up" window. For information on what our shipping charges are, you need only click on that link.

You will also see on that page that there is a statement regarding the "cold pack" that must be used on shipping to all warm climate locations. This is the only way we can guarantee the safe arrival of your chocolates (when shipped to "warm" locations).