Bon AppéSweet Unveils Refreshed Packaging and Brand Strategy

Adrianne DeLuca

Better-for-you chocolate maker Bon AppéSweet announced today it will unveil a new look and an expansion to its line of plant-based, date sweetened chocolate bars at this years’ Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia. The Virginia-based brand said it will officially begin to roll out its bars in brighter and more colorful packaging to retailers this October.

Originally launched in 2019 as a gelato company under the brand Amore Congelato, Bon AppéSweet has sought to offer shoppers sugar-free indulgent treats. According to a press release, along with the rebrand, the company will discontinue its gelato to focus on its line of organic, non-GMO and fair trade chocolate bars – which launched in 2020.

Made with dates, cacao and cacao butter, the bars contain between 160 and 190 calories per serving, depending on the flavor. Retailing for $8.50 each, the 2.2 oz. bars are currently offered in seven flavors: Sea Salt Almond, Deep Dark Chocolate, Golden Chocolate, Almond, Coconut Dark Milk Chocolate, Better Than Milk Chocolate and On the Mark Chocolate.

Prior to this brand refresh, Bon AppéSweet’s packaging featured dark, earthy tones with “Zero Added Sugar” clearly stated on the front of pack. The new look features brighter, pastel tones with each flavor now clearly differentiated by use of a different color scheme. The chocolate also now sports organic, non-GMO, plant-based and fair trade certifications on the front of pack alongside a no added sugar label.

The brand is predominately sold locally in the South in retailers such as Dawson’s, Roots Market, Fredericksburg Co-op and Vibe Foods as well as on Amazon and Kroger’s e-commerce site. Bon AppéSweet founder Thereasa Black said that she hopes by channeling the company’s focus into one part of the store, it can more quickly gain a national presence.

“Starting my company gave me an appreciation for what it takes to build a mission-driven CPG brand using exceptional ingredients,” Black said in a press release. “Now that I’m focusing on chocolate, which was always a best-seller of mine, I’m excited to grow my footprint nationally.”

Earlier this year the black female, veteran-owned company became the first winner of The Empower Project’s pitch competition and received $700,000 in professional services including branding, marketing, manufacturing, financial strategy and legal assistance. The Empower Project was created by nine companies including SPINS, Whole Brain Consulting and C.A. Branding to offer black-owned CPG strategic assistance and resources.

While Bon AppéSweet’s use of dates is a point of differentiation, the low-sugar confection set is competitive with both emerging brands as well as larger players. Most notably, earlier this year Hershey’s acquired low-sugar chocolate brand Lily’s, which uses both stevia and erythritol in its bars. Plant-based chocolate also has gained momentum, with Hershey’s last week announcing it would be testing a vegan version of its classic Hershey’s bar.