
In a small kitchen in Saint Louis, there is a place where tradition and
quality are still the most important ingredients in the making of the
world's finest chocolate confections. This special place is Bissinger's,
one of the last handcrafted chocolatiers in the world. Bissinger's has
been making fine French confections for more than 350 years and takes
pride in the fact that it has not sacrificed quality ingredients, taste
or craftsmanship to produce more candy at a lower cost. Even today, in
an age of high-tech production and immediacy, Bissinger's remains committed
to the high standards, heritage and traditions that have made the company
what it is today.
OUR HISTORY
The name "Bissinger" has long been linked to fine confections. The Bissinger
family began creating their fine delicacies in 17th-century Paris, and
at that time European nobility, heads of state, Ludwig of Bavaria and
the Rothschilds were all loyal Bissinger enthusiasts. Bissinger's confections
were once enjoyed by King Louis XIV and were used as a gift by Napoleon
Bonaparte to his beloved Josephine upon his return from battle. In fact,
Karl Frederic Bissinger, the company's namesake, was named the Confiseur
Imperial, or "Candy Maker of the Empire," for excellence in
the confectionery arts by Emperor Louis Napoleon.

Karl Bissinger left France in 1845, bringing his loyal master candy maker
and all of the Bissinger family candy making secrets to the United States
near Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1927, his son, also named Karl, opened the Bissinger
candy making kitchens and first Bissinger shop in Saint Louis on McPherson
Avenue. That store closed in the spring of 2007, but a replica will be rebuilt in the popular City Museum in Saint Louis, for chocolate lovers of all ages to enjoy for years to come.