Oakwood chocolate candy shop Madame Delluc shuts down all 3 stores

An Oakwood chocolate shop that sold fine candies from a century-old chocolate maker described by CNN as one of the “15 Happiest Places in the World” has closed its doors, with no plans to relocate or reopen.

Madame Delluc Artisan Chocolatier — which opened in December 2015 at 2510 Far Hills Ave. in the Shops of Oakwood — served its last customers earlier this fall, and its owner has shut down the company, which once included stores in Columbus and Chicago.

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“It is with great sadness that we have closed the business,” Francoise Walusis, founder of Madame Delluc, told this news outlet Monday. “While the Oakwood location was successful, customer volumes in Chicago and Columbus were not sufficient to allow us to continue operation. Unfortunately, due to the financial commitments in Chicago and Columbus, it forced the closure of Oakwood as well.”

Madame Delluc was the exclusive retail seller in the U.S. of the chocolates from the prestigious Belgian chocolate maker name Mary, which was launched in 1919. Walusis herself is a native of Belgium who came to Ohio more than two decades ago to attend Wittenberg University.

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"We have discontinued online sales and do not currently have plans to open any alternate locations or sales channels," the Madame Delluc founder said. "If customers still wish to purchase products, they can do so through Mary in Belgium at www.mary.be."

The chocolates sold by Madame Delluc received several shout-outs in the national media in the last four years. A year ago, in December 2018, it was included in a Forbes.com Mother's Day Gift Guide on "The Best Dark Chocolates" after a writer for that publication stopped in at Madame Delluc's Chicago store. In 2017, CNN named Mary as one of the "15 Happiest Places in the World." And in 2016, A Mary chocolate bar was lauded as one of the nine "Best Chocolates in the World" by a Conde Nast Traveler writer.

>> Oakwood chocolate shop part of the 15 ‘world’s happiest places.’ (March 2017)

“We could not be more grateful for the support of the Dayton community,” Walusis said. “It was an honor to be able to bring Mary's wonderful products to the Dayton market.”

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About the Author

Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher, a 1981 graduate of Ohio State University and a 1976 graduate of Beavercreek High School, is a third-generation Dayton-area resident who has worked for the Dayton Daily News since 1983. He covered higher education and K-12 education accountability issues for nearly 20 years before taking over the food and dining beat in 2006.