Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
When Bissinger’s opened a new storefront in Kenwood Towne Centre in May, the event marked the beloved chocolatier’s return to Cincinnati. The centuries-old candymaker was once a Queen City staple, and many claim that the company created the legendary opera cream in the 1890s. For candy enthusiasts, that’s a really big deal.
“We personally believe that we created it,” says Dan Abel Jr., chief chocolate officer for Bissinger’s. “It was created for the opera house. If you attended a show there, it might have been a little accoutrement. It’s just a great product.”
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
There are questions around what opera house the candy refers to (likely Pike’s Opera House, which burned down in the early 1900s); what makes the Bissinger’s version special (they’re not extruded, making them denser); and the argument that the Robert H. Putnam Company actually came up with the first opera cream recipe (who can know?). But one of the OGs of Cincinnati confectionary culture is back after decades away, and that has our collective sweet teeth smiling.
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
The story of Bissinger’s stretches way back to 1668, when the candy-making family was appointed the title of “Confessor Imperial,” the confectioner to the Royal Palace of Versailles, a distinction it held until the French Empire fell in 1845. German-born Karl Frederick Bissinger and his wife Theresa found a home in Cincinnati, opening Bissinger’s Fine French Confections on Race Street in 1863, eventually moving to the 400 block of Main Street. Theresa took over after Karl Frederick passed away, running operations with her son Fred, while her other son, Karl Jr., moved to St. Louis in 1927, establishing a separate Bissinger’s (trademarked as Karl Bissinger French Confections in Missouri). In time, the St. Louis entity acquired the Cincinnati business as part of an expansion plan, ending the Bissinger’s legacy in Cincinnati. Or so it seemed.
The company has a series of popular chocolate boutiques spread across St. Louis, and in 2024, it decided to grow the retail side of the business, recognizing that its distinct aesthetic (not to mention the intoxicating smell and, of course, taste of fine chocolates) is its best tool for endearing new customers. Bissinger’s opened boutiques in Palm Beach and New York, then turned its attention to the Queen City. “Right away, Cincinnati came up,” says Abel. “We had to go back home to Cincinnati.”
Through his real estate relationships, he learned that the space next to the Apple Store in the Kenwood Towne Centre was available. He recognized a prime opportunity for the chocolatier, but one with a sizable problem—the 2,000-square-foot space he was shown was just too big. “What am I going to do with all that space?” he says. “Our flagship store is 600 square feet. An intimate Parisian boutique shouldn’t be huge.”
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
Abel focused instead on opening boutiques in other cities such as Nashville and Indianapolis, but the idea of a Bissinger’s homecoming to Cincinnati never left his mind. So when he got a call saying the Apple store was expanding into part of the original space, halving the storefront he’d originally viewed, Abel took quick action. “If you can get me the lease by Friday, I’ll sign it Friday afternoon,” he recalls saying.
The result is a delight for the senses. Visitors encounter a storefront exterior of dark-stained wood and Bissinger’s timeless logo in gold lettering, then enter into a dense cloud of chocolate scents emanating from a glass case piled high with handcrafted truffles, caramels, and other French-inspired confections. A photo collage tells the story of Bissinger’s and its Cincinnati origins, and the walls are lined with packaged candies. A striking gold crest hangs in the center of the back wall beneath the Old World font of the Bissinger’s logo.
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
“I took personal involvement in that location,” says Abel, explaining the pains he took to provide a unique experience for boutique visitors. “The family crest is displayed right in the middle of that back wall—that was the first location we did that, and I loved it so much I put it in the next three that we’re doing.”
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
Bissinger’s return to Cincinnati provided opportunity for the company to create candies that call on the business’s history in the city. “We looked back at some of the recipes for Bissinger’s,” says Abel. “The opera creams, that was a staple that we brought back. We did a French mint, which was a play on a popular Ohio mint meltaway. And we had to do a buckeye.” The exclusive six-piece Cincinnati Collection features dark opera creams, milk almond meltaways, milk peanut butter buckeyes, dark raspberry truffles, dark French vanilla, and milk French salt caramels.
Photograph courtesy Bissinger's
Despite the brand recognition Bissinger’s enjoys in the region, the company is moving back to a city with some fierce opinions and loyalties when it comes to local confections—Esther Price is right down the road in Silverton, Aglamesis Bro’s operates three area locations, and Schneider’s Sweet Shoppe has Northern Kentucky on lock. While he values the customers who enter the store with memories of the brand, Abel knows Bissinger’s can’t take its storied history in the area for granted.
“We always take the opinion that we have to win over every single customer, like they’ve never heard of us,” he says. “Everyone needs to get a perfect experience, so there’s a lot of little details that I really focused on because of how important getting Cincinnati right was.”
Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier, 7875 Montgomery Rd., Kenwood, (513) 818-2828
