Li-Lac Chocolates, the oldest chocolatier in Manhattan, opened at 120 Christopher Street (near Bedford Street) in 1923. It was the brainchild of George Demetrious, a Greek immigrant who learned his chocolate-making skills in France. Li-Lac remained there until 2005 when the rent skyrocketed, forcing a move to its current location at 40 8th Avenue (at Jane Street); production moved to a temporary Brooklyn facility. Now, there are five locations in the City, including a large factory in Industry City (Brooklyn) and a cheerful counter in Chelsea Market, pictured right, which opened in 2016. Li-Lac has always had passionate owners, and that is still true today. Li-Lac is run by three partners: Anthony Cirone, Christopher Taylor, and Anwar Khoder, Li-Lac’s Master Chocolatier. Anthony and Chris were both longtime Village residents and Li-Lac devotees when they purchased the business in 2009; Anwar is an immigrant from Lebanon who started working at Li-Lac in 1989.
