Things are going to get a lot sweeter this fall at the La Peer Hotel when well-known pastry chef Chris Ford opens a new chocolate and dessert shop dubbed “Butter Love & Hardwork”.
“As of today it’s a concept experiential store. Although I don’t like the word ‘store’ because it’s very mundane and it’s so much more than a store. It’s as if a pastry and chocolate shop collided with a dispensary and Louis Vuitton,” Ford said. “It’s very luxe, it’s very museum like, but at the end of the day it’s very approachable and relatable to everybody,” he added.
The pastry chef is known for creative breakable chocolate pieces and intricately designed treats. He has collaborated with celebrities like Madonna, John Legend and the Kardashians on some of his creations.
“With pastries I feel like there’s a lot more room to be creative and artistic and still resonate at the end of the day with the main focus, which is the taste and the flavor,” he said.
There’s no exact opening day yet but Ford said he expects to open the shop at the West Hollywood hotel in mid-November. The new spot will be a mix between a pop-up and a residency at the hotel that will be there for a few months.
“It is designed to ideally possibly stay or find a new location as we grow. The goal is to change different cities, take it international,” he said.
The shop will be a take-out business where people can expect to get things like his unique breakable chocolate pieces, baked goods, some drinks, his baked Chrissants, which are baked in cubes and you pull apart, plus chocolate pudding dipped spoons. There will be a self-service robotic vending machine serving chocolates modeled after those people would find at the movie theater, Ford said.
He’s also serving soft serve ice cream in a chocolate waffle cone surprisingly inspired by a fast food giant.
“I’m a big fan of soft serve so I modeled my recipe on what think is the best, which is McDonald’s,” he said.
Butter Love & Hardwork will be located at the Kimpton La Peer hotel, 627 N. La Peer Drive, West Hollywood. For more information go to butterloveandhardwork.com