GODIVA CHOCOLATIERS

OF ALL THE NAMES ASSOCIATED WITH FINE GOURMET CHOCOLATE, THERE ARE FEW AS ICONIC AS GODIVA CHOCOLATIERS. FOUNDED IN 1926 BY JOSEPH DRAPS, THE BELGIAN CHOCOLATIER HAS SINCE BLOSSOMED INTO ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST CELEBRATED AND MOST RECOGNIZED. DRAPS OPENED HIS FIRST STORE ON A COBBLESTONE STREET IN BRUSSELS NEARLY A CENTURY AGO, ITS NAME WAS INSPIRED BY THE LEGENDARY LADY GODIVA. AS THE STORY GOES, THE MEDIEVAL ROYAL BECAME UPSET WITH THE ONEROUS TAXES THAT HER HUSBAND, LORD LEOFRIC, LEVIED UPON HIS SUBJECTS IN COVENTRY, ENGLAND. LEOFRIC PROPOSED A BARGAIN: IF SHE COULD RIDE NAKED THROUGH TOWN WITHOUT ANY CITIZENS LOOKING AT HER, HE'S EASE THEIR FINANCIAL BURDEN. LADY GODIVA DID EXACTLY THAT, AND LEOFRIC RELENTED. THE NAME GODIVA STILL EVOKES IMAGES OF GRACIOUSNESS, LUXURY AND SENSUALITY. DRAPS FIRST EXPANDED THE COMPANY BEYOND BELGIUM IN 1958, OPENING A BOUTIQUE IN PARIS. THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN STORE FOLLOWED IN 1966; ANOTHER IN TOKYO CAME IN 1972. TODAY THERE ARE OVER 450 GODIVA BOUTIQUES IN 80 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. THE CHOCOLATES CAN ALSO BE ORDERED AT ITS ONLINE STORE. THOUGH GODIVA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS DECADENT TRUFFLES, THE CHOCOLATIER HAS EXPANDED ITS SELECTIONS TO INCLUDE BAKED GOODS, SUCH AS CHOCOLATE GANACHE LAYER CAKE, CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIES AND CHOCOLATE COCONUT MACAROONS, FLAVORED COFFEES AND HOT COCOAS AND SPECIALTY GIFTS FOR OCCASIONS SUCH AS WEDDINGS AND HOLIDAYS.
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