New Dessert-Focused Chocolate Bistro Opening Soon in Dunedin

DUNEDIN, FL — Chocolate Bistro is preparing to open at 1004 Broadway, Dunedin, FL 34698, where mother–daughter team Shannon Saathoff and Alexandra Andrews are creating a dessert-focused space inspired by their travels and longtime love of chocolate. The pair told Business Debut they are targeting an early January opening.

What to Expect

Chocolate Bistro will feature a small, intimate setting with approximately 12 to 16 seats indoors and additional patio seating. Saathoff described the design as “very Frenchy, moody,” noting that the space is meant to feel like “you’re literally in a little bistro in France.” One of the café’s most unique elements will be a wall of 362 postcard boxes, handcrafted locally from reclaimed 1905 roof wood. Guests can write postcards and schedule them to be mailed at any future date. “You can put it like December 7 a year from now and we will send it out,” Saathoff told Business Debut.

Menu and Vision

Andrews, who leads menu development, said nearly everything will be made to order, emphasizing freshness and an interactive dessert experience. “We’re making sure that it’s an experience where it’s worth coming in for,” she told Business Debut. Highlights include:

• Belgian waffles with customizable toppings such as Belgian chocolate, Nutella, cookie butter, and fruit.
• Personal fondue with warm Belgian chocolate.
• Hot chocolate–covered local strawberries, cut to order and coated under a continuously warmed chocolate spout.
• Croffles — croissants sliced, filled, and pressed in a waffle iron. “It’s crispy on the outside but flaky and gooey in the middle,” Andrews said.

While the focus is dessert, a few savory options will be available, including a ham and cheese croissant and select weekend specials. Andrews noted that the menu will remain intentionally small and will include rotating Sunday cupcakes.

Opening Timeline

The team is targeting an early January opening, citing the need to finalize design details and ingredient testing.

Hours

Andrews said the café will operate as a late-day concept, with final hours still being refined. Current planning includes:

• Monday–Thursday: 11 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Friday–Sunday: 2 p.m.–10 p.m.

She emphasized that hours may adjust based on customer patterns and community needs.

Ownership and Background

Saathoff and Andrews are opening Chocolate Bistro as their first restaurant, though both bring significant experience.

Saathoff, a real estate investor whose father was a chef in Las Vegas, said the concept is rooted in family history and shared memories. “We want to be a community place for people to gather and have fun and enjoy,” she told Business Debut.

Andrews comes from a background in emergency medicine but realized her passion lay in baking. “Everyone said do what you love… and that’s really where the love was,” she said, explaining years spent perfecting recipes before ever serving them to others.

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