Ardmore PA - Brothers Joseph and Antoine Amrani are sweetening up Downtown Ardmore with the opening of French pastry and chocolate shop Delice et Chocolat at 7 Station Road. Ardmore's newest eatery features pastries, danish, cakes and artisan chocolates made on location, along with an espresso bar, smoothies, sandwiches, salads and house-made quiche.
Guests can purchase their treats to go, or they can sit and enjoy them inside the French Parisian Bistro-inspired cafe. Delice et Chocolat is open for business Tuesday-Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm, Saturday from 8:00am to 6:00pm, Sunday from 8:00am to 2:00pm. The space formerly housed Centofanti Master Tailors.
“We are thrilled to add another specialty dining establishment to our Downtown Ardmore family,” said Christine Vilardo, Executive Director of the Ardmore Initiative. “We welcome brothers, Joseph and Antoine Amrani, as they bring a little bit of Paris to Ardmore with their high quality French pastries and cozy, café atmosphere.”
Owners Joseph and Antoine hail from France, where they developed a love and understanding of French pastries. Antoine Amrani, a head pastry chef from Le Bec Fin who was trained at the Ritz-Escoffier in Paris, brings his own unique spin on classic French recipes while providing beautiful and delicious works of art. Joseph Amrani has extensive experience opening and operating restaurants – finding his niche in the high-end French dining scene while working closely with George Perrier. He was also the general manager at Paramour in the Wayne Hotel. This brother duo is finally teaming up to bring their combined experience to Ardmore.
“My brother's art inspired my business,” said Joseph. “I was always impressed by his talent. He embodies knowledge of chocolate artisan and the artistic touch of sculptured sugar and color. His palette is sophisticated. That's what makes him a good executive pastry chef and exceptional chocolatier and macaron maker. I always worked the business side of high end restaurants. After many years of working for others we decided let's do something for us. With the help of Angela, my wife, and my son, Nick, we combined our talents to open Delice et Chocolat.”
The space was outfitted by Becky Wein Interiors with an inspired “French Parisian Bistro” color palatte of greys, light pink, and gold. The team was careful to honor the history of the space by retaining and reusing a mirror from the previous occupant, Centafoni Tailors.
“We shopped around. We looked at Gladwyne, Berwyn - everywhere on the Main Line,” Joseph said. “When this space came up we felt good about its location next to the train station and the story behind it. Previously the space was occupied by a master tailor for 75 years. We also preferred Ardmore because it's multicultural with potential for greatness. We want to be part of Ardmore's growth.”
Delice isn’t just a sideline participant in Ardmore’s growth – the Amrani brothers, and Delice et Chocolat, are already making expansion plans. The brothers are already working on transforming the available space at the corner of Station Avenue and Lancaster Avenue, formerly occupied by Radio Shack, into additional café and production areas, expanding the menu to include crepes, gelato, soups, and more.
“This is great news for Downtown Ardmore and for Delice et Chocolat,” Vilardo said. “Ardmore has welcomed the Amrani brothers with open arms and we are all excited to taste and see what they have planned for the future.”
Delice et Chocolat is located at 7 Station Street, Ardmore, PA 19003. Tel. 610-649-7001. Delice et Chocolat is open for business Tuesday-Friday from 7am-6pm, Saturday from 8am-6pm, Sunday from 8am-2pm, and closed on Mondays. Visit Delice et Chocolate on Facebook @DeliceChocolatArdmore or Instagram @delicechocolat. Website: www.delicechocolat.com
