Jacques Torres

66 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY
17 Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY
929-337-8856
info@mrchocolate.com
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From French Pastry to New York Chocolate

Few names are as closely associated with New York chocolate as Jacques Torres. Known affectionately as “Mr. Chocolate,” the French-born pastry chef and chocolatier has spent decades combining classical European technique with the energy and accessibility of his adopted city.

Torres opened his first New York chocolate factory and retail shop in Brooklyn in 2000. Today, Jacques Torres Chocolate continues to produce its confections in a 40,000-square-foot facility at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, while its retail shops remain part of the city’s chocolate landscape.

Building a Career in France

Torres began his pastry apprenticeship at 15 in Bandol in the south of France. His early career culminated in one of French culinary arts’ most prestigious distinctions: in 1986, at age 26, he earned the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France in pastry.

He later brought that training to the United States, where his career expanded from restaurant pastry into teaching, television and eventually chocolate production.

Before concentrating on his own chocolate company, Torres became widely recognised for his pastry work and served as Dean of Pastry Arts at New York’s International Culinary Center. He held the educational role for 30 years, until the school closed in December 2020.

Building a Chocolate Business in Brooklyn

When Torres opened his first chocolate operation in Brooklyn in 2000, he brought production unusually close to the customer. That commitment to making chocolate in New York continued as the business expanded. In 2013, production from its DUMBO and SoHo facilities was consolidated into a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park.

The company continues to make its chocolates without preservatives or artificial flavours, with an emphasis on fresh production and premium ingredients. Its bonbons and truffles are consequently best enjoyed within several weeks rather than treated as long-shelf-life confections.

Beyond the Bonbon

Torres has helped make fine chocolate approachable by refusing to limit his work to formal boxed assortments.

Bonbons and truffles share the spotlight with chocolate-covered treats, bars, baking chocolate and drinking chocolate. His oversized chocolate chip cookies have developed a following of their own, while rich hot chocolate remains closely associated with the company’s New York shops.

That range reflects one of Torres’s enduring strengths: serious technique presented without unnecessary formality. Chocolate can be an intricate confection, but it can also be a warm drink or a generously sized cookie enjoyed while walking through New York.

A Lasting New York Chocolate Legacy

Torres’s influence extends beyond his shops. His television appearances have introduced pastry and chocolate-making to a much wider audience, while decades spent teaching connected his career to another generation of pastry professionals. His work in television continued in 2026, including an appearance at the judges’ table for The Ultimate Baking Championship.

His company also remains firmly connected to New York. Current locations include the original DUMBO neighbourhood and Grand Central Terminal, while production continues at the Brooklyn Army Terminal.

More than 25 years after opening his first Brooklyn chocolate shop, Jacques Torres continues to bridge two culinary traditions: the precision of French pastry and the personality of New York. That combination has made “Mr. Chocolate” an enduring figure in contemporary American chocolate.