WHAT: Chocolates By-U
WHERE: Commerce Township

Top right: Chocolates By-U owner Jackie Stassinopoulos gets advice from her son Peter,
31/2. Chef Bella Browett (top), 3, of Farmington Hills prepares to dig into her chocolatey cre-
ations (center) and Christina Arshansky (above), 4, of Farmington Hills crafts a masterpiece.

B 2 2 • NOVEMBER 2007 • JN

platinum

As a child, Jackie Stassinopoulos loved
working in the kitchen, alongside her
mother and aunt, making their specialty:
chocolate-covered cherries. All grown
up, with 20 years in the corporate world
under her belt, her passion for chocolates
never waned. "I used to go home and
make chocolates," says Stassinopoulos,
40. "It was my way to relax."
In 1999, Stassinopoulos opened her
first bakery, Scher Delites in Southfield.
Soon realizing she was not alone in her
enthusiasm for chocolate, she says, "I
came up with the idea to have a place
where people can come and create their
own chocolate." So she opened a sec-
ond shop, Chocolates By-U, next door.
Though Stassinopoulos closed both
shops when she became pregnant with
her second son, her fans never forgot her
— and she never forgot chocolae.
Lucky for us, Stassinopoulos is back
in business. Just reopened in September,
Chocolates By-U in Commerce
Township offers everything its first
incarnation did and more, including in-
store and off-site chocolate parties for
events such as weddings and bar and bat
mitzvahs. "We do everything from bridal
showers to corporate team building,"
adds Stassinopoulos. Evening options
include ladies' night out, date night and
family night. During the day, there are
parent and tot activities as well as a sum-
mer camp.
Among the shop's biggest hits, though,
are the children's birthday parties, where
a "chocolate playground" is decorated
with balloons and tables are covered with
everything little guests need to create
their own original chocolate candies,
right down to a paper chef's hat. Armed
with a pound of melted chocolates, a
mold on a stick, Oreo cookies for dip-
ping, marshmallows on pretzel sticks,
sprinkles, a pretzel rod and graham

crackers, each child turns out an assort-
ment of mouth-watering masterpieces.
The two-hour party window allows
plenty of time for opening gifts and
playing games, and the guest of honor
receives a canvas apron that says, "I had
my party at Chocolates By-U."
"Kids of all ages love these parties,"
says Stassinopoulos. "They get to use
their imaginations and create whatever
they want. There are no rules when you
are creating chocolates." The best part,
she points out, may be that they get to
eat chocolate, make a mess (play clothes
are recommended) — and parents don't
have to clean up.
If no parties are reserved, individuals
are encouraged to make a reservation to
create chocolates on their own. "I have
had brides come in and make their own
chocolates for their tables or kids come
in to make favors for their bar and bat
mitzvah," Stassinopoulos says. "It's also
fun to do it as a family. We have an a la
carte menu where people choose what
they want to make and everything is
priced individually."
Stassinopoulos, who lives in Novi,
says her entire family loves to work with
chocolates. Her husband, John, who is
in the restaurant business, is a big help
while their children, 3-year-old Peter
and 2-year-old Jonathan, are experts
at mixing treats together. "They usu-
ally end up just covered in chocolate,"
says Stassinopoulos, "but that's OK
— because it really is the best just to see
how much fun they have doing it."
—Jeanine Matlow

At Chocolates By-U, party packages
start at $265 for 10 guests, and
include chocolates, decorations and
postcard invitations. For details, call
(248) 624-5678 or log on to
chocolatesbyu.com .