Frequently Asked Questions

At the moment, the biggest cacao producers are Brazil and The Ivory Coast. Most connoisseurs agree that the best beans and appellations, known for their subtle flavors and their finesse, come from South and Central America. Our chocolate couvertures, made by Valrhona, are the result of blending beans from different origins. The Valrhona Company creates special blends custom-made for us. Our preference of course is for the Criollo beans, which produce fine, delicate chocolate. We use beans from Central America, Trinidad, Ecuador and Venezuela but also from Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, as well as Sumatra (they have good acidity) and some Forasteros from the Ivory Coast.

We work almost exclusively with Valrhona; it has ensured economic and social support for producers and protection for their farms for 20 years. Compliance with recognized international standards including the International Labor Organization (minimum wages, rights to organize, etc.), research and technical assistance programs, fixed prices and guaranteed volumes are all part of a long-term partnership with producers.

When recipes are developed, every ingredient is tasted and approved by Nicolas Cloiseau. The quality team also ensures that suppliers meet food safety requirements and carries out tastings on reception, prior to manufacture. An internal panel of experts is required to approve the taste of each new recipe and tastings are conducted throughout the life of the products to ensure the consistent quality of each product.

We have very strict specifications for our ingredients. We don’t focus on organic ingredients because our priority is to use products that have the very best organoleptic qualities. Nicolas Cloiseau travels all over the world in search of the best products (cocoa beans, spices, fruit, etc.)

Our committed production teams are consistently focused on ensuring the quality of the products you enjoy.
Our chocolate sweets are made by hand by a passionate and loyal team, inspired by Nicolas Cloiseau’s philosophy. At La Maison du Chocolat, all our chocolatiers have a chocolate-making qualification.
Our chocolates are then carefully put into boxes by hand.
Working in the workshop next to that of La Maison du Chocolat’s chocolatiers, the team of pâtissiers prepares and bakes pastries every day to be sold in the brand’s Parisian stores. International stores have their own workshop on site with qualified pâtissiers, trained by our French pâtissiers.

Please note, that some seasonal products have various flavors that may include peanuts/nuts. Please refer to the Product's "Allergens" information. Our suppliers of nuts cannot guarantee the absence of peanuts in their own facilities, therefore we mention that all our products may contain trace amounts of peanuts.

On the website, there is a tab for each product with information about the presence of allergens. When shopping in store, information is available for all products, whether in boxes or customized, including for macarons and pastries.
If you have any questions, please ask in store or contact Customer Service: customerservice@lamaisonduchocolat.com

Though the types of fruit pulp and flavors used in our iconic fruit pieces are the same in both recipes, such as Raspberry or Passion fruit, our Fruit Naturally Collection is separate from our traditional fruit ganache recipes.

We are moving to exclusively using Sunflower lecithin as an emulsifier, some of our products may still contain Soy lecithin. Please check our Product's "Ingredients" for more information.

The Best Before Date of our chocolates is shown on the bottom of each box. We encourage you to eat our products before this date. We recommend storing them somewhere in a cool, dry, dark place (between 60 and 64°F) in it's original packaging. Please bring them to room temperature for approximately 30 minutes prior to serving.

For nearly 10 years, our manufacturing site has been ISO 22000 certified, thanks to the committed involvement of our teams when it comes to food safety. Our production teams comply with strict hygiene rules and quality control to guarantee truly indulgent products.
We are committed to respecting the quality requirements of each country in which we are present, and we ensure that the ingredients, labels, and hygiene criteria of each recipe meet these requirements.
Traceability is a key concern: each product has its own history that we can trace at every stage, from raw materials to sale. We create quality products with a sustainable and natural approach: as such, we prohibit the use of GMOs, palm oil and artificial colors in our chocolates.

Some products are particularly delicate and cannot easily be transported. Consequently, they are only available in store.

We deliver in the US with FedEx in 1-3 business days.
To ensure the quality of our chocolates in summer, we deliver with insulated packaging with overnight shipping.
In Manhattan, we also deliver by courier the same day.

You can also pick up your order in one of our 2 New York City stores, Rockefeller and Madison Ave. Chocolate orders placed before 1.45 pm EST are available the same day and your pastry orders are available within 48 hours allowing for preparation time.
Need more information? See our Delivery page

During the summer months we are unable to ship with FedEx 2nd Day due to the heat in many areas of the US. To ensure the quality of your purchase we only ship with Next Day options during the summer and prepare all order with ice packs.

You can create your own selection or custom gift box in store with our knowledgeable associates or over the phone with one of our boutiques.

The delivery slip (with detail of quantities, without prices) is included in your package. This is the only document included in the package; the invoice is sent to you separately via email and it is also available on your account.

The invoice will be available in your customer account once your package leaves our logistics center.

Your order hasn’t begun the printing process and you want to change it? Contact us via the contact form and choose the “My order” option. For immediate assistance please feel free to call our Customer Service Team at (718)361-9161 from 9 am to 6 pm EST, Monday to Friday and we will be more than happy to assist you. All order changes are unable to be guaranteed during peak season; changes must be made within 30 minutes of placing the order if the order is set to be shipped the same day.

A Store Credit can be used to buy other items, only through the LMDC US Website and is provided to guests in various situations when a refund is not eligible. In the event a Store Credit is issued, guests are given a promotional code in the amount of the item(s) last sale price plus a 10% premium and 8.875% Sales Tax if applicable..

In the even a Store Credit is to be issued, one of our Customer Service Representatives will send you an email with your Credit Information, Code and further details such as the following...

Step 1: Choose your proffered favorite items and add them to your Cart. 
Step 2: Once you are ready to then Checkout, click into your Cart to View. 
Step 3: Go to the bottom of your cart and enter the Above Code; Click "Enter" 

You should see your Order Summary updated with the credit.  If you have any trouble using your code please reach out to us at 718-361-9161 right away and we will be happy to assist you. 

Please note that while using your code; this code can only be used once, so please plan to use the entirety of your Credit Amount as the remaining amount will not be able to be carried over to another order. All codes are valid for 1 Year.

If during "Step 2" of checkout, only our Pick Up in Store option is appearing, this means that there is an item within your cart that is currently out of stock at our main facility and is only able to picked up from one of our boutiques at this time. Please be sure to note the Availability Icons of the items with the "Home Express", meaning available for shipping, or "Shop", meaning available for pick up.

A Gift Message can be added to your order via your cart. Beneath the items you have chosen to gift is a section to add a message as well as a complimentary paper gift bag. Please be sure to click "Add" or "Save" for your message or added shopping bag to be added to your order.

If your tracking number is showing "Called by Shipper" this most often means that our peroration team, for different reasons, may have needed to create a new shipping label for your order. This would cause a new tracking number to be associated with your order. If you happen to see this message please reach out to our Customer Service Team and they will be more than happy to look into this for you and provide you with the correct/ updated information. Please note that a tracking number may not show activity until it is scanned by our carrier, FedEx.

These icons are the availability for shipping for that particular item. "Home Express" means that we have this item available at our main facility and hare able to ship this item. "Shop" means that this item is available for Pick Up from our Boutiques in Manhattan, New York.

Returns will be accepted by LMC 49th, Inc only upon its prior written agreement and in no case more than 48 hours after delivery to a recipient. Where LMC 49th, Inc accepts a return in the case of an obvious flaw or the nonconformity of the products delivered with an order, LMC 49th, Inc will allow the free replacement of the product or the return of the amount paid by the purchaser. In making a purchase, the purchaser, on behalf of itself and any recipient of the purchase, waives any additional claims it may have, including for interest and other payments.

It’s free to join the loyalty club and anyone over the age of 18 can join. Join the Chocolate Circle to enjoy exclusive benefits:

- each time you buy online or in store, you earn points

- once you reach 50 points, you can exchange your points for a delicious gift

- we’ll treat you to a birthday surprise

- for a week at Christmas and Easter, your points are doubled every time you buy online or in store

- if you subscribe to our newsletter, you’ll receive offers and invitations to members-only events by email

Log in to your customer account to join the Chocolate Circle in a click under "My Loyalty Club".

If you’ve joined the Club in store, just open an online account with the same email address; your details will immediately be recognized, and you’ll be able to find the following information:

- your loyalty club account number

- your loyalty club points balance

- the expiration date of your points (points last for a year from the date of your last purchase).

You can convert your points into gifts in store and online.

Online, log in to your customer account, go to the “My Loyalty Club” option in menu under "My Account" then click on “Convert points into a gift”. You will be shown a range of gifts that we’ve selected for you. You can then choose the gift(s) you’d like.

To be recognized as a Chocolate Circle member in the online store after becoming a member in a physical store, you must open an account with the same email address as the one you provided in store. If you did not provide an address, please contact our Customer Service at (718)361-9161 from 9 am to 6 pm EST, Monday to Friday, so that they can add your email address to your account. In this way, you can track your loyalty points at any time.
In addition, your points balance is included on the receipt when you make a purchase in store and via our email communications.