A POPULAR chocolatiers and café is set to expand into a business estate after they receive “overwhelming support.”
Mocha, based in Richmond, is set to expand its business to The Riding School building on The Aske Estate just outside Richmond, North Yorkshire.
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The new premises is set to incorporate all their chocolate manufacturing as well as another café serving coffee, cakes, sandwiches and hot meals to eat in or take away.
Mocha say work is already underway at the new facility and an opening date has been confirmed as Monday March 28.
The business is owned by Elizabeth Graves and was set up in partnership with her late husband Dennis who died in August last year.
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Elizabeth and Dennis moved to Richmond to set up Mocha in Trinity Church Square in 2013 after wanting to set up a business that they could run together.
The business has since gone from strength to strength and has become synonymous with the town of Richmond and its many independent shops and businesses.
Following a meeting with fellow Aske Estate based business Kiss The Moon in August last year, Elizabeth and Dennis found themselves looking through the window to The Riding School building.
They then came up with the idea of expanding the business, however, Dennis sadly died suddenly the next day but Elizabeth decided to press ahead with their plans.
Ms Graves said she was “delighted” to be expanding the business and she can’t “help but be positive.”
She said: “We are delighted to be expanding our little business to The Riding School on The Aske Estate where we will have a much larger chocolate studio - the Chocolate Den to make our range of handmake artisan chocolates in and open our second café.
“I've never had to do oversee anything like this on my own before as when it came to project management it was always Dennis’ role.
“All of us at Mocha have been overwhelmed with the support that we have received from The Aske Estate and our friends and customers in Richmond – and my team has been so supportive of our plans.
“Mocha continues to go from strength to strength. You can’t help but be positive and my team are amazing.
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“When Den and I moved to Richmond it was just the two of us working in the shop offering takeaways and retail. We now have 18 people working for Mocha - how did that happen?”
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