Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier’s sweet beginnings go back to Paris in the 1600s, when the chocolate maker was appointed Confectioner to the Empire by King Louis XIV. The Bissinger family moved stateside in the mid-19th century, bringing their rich legacy with them. When co-owner Dan Able visited Sarasota last year, he thought the Mall at UTC was the perfect place for Bissinger’s next boutique. Today, the company is creating confections in Sarasota, some exclusive to Florida, like a white chocolate-covered Key lime pie truffle, and the Sarasotan Royal Florida Collection that includes a white chocolate mojito truffle, dark lemon bonbon and more. For Thankgiving? Try the 10-inch-tall chocolate turkey.

Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier | 140 University Town Center Drive, Sarasota, (800) 325-8881, bissingers.com