For Immediate Release Contact: Denise Gaffney Neu

206-625-0768

Dilettante Chocolate Company Begins Construction

On A New Café in Downtown Seattle

Seattle, WA [September 24, 2003] – Dilettante Chocolate Company today announced that construction has begun on the Dilettante Mocha Café adjoining the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers on Sixth Avenue. Construction is expected to last two months, according to Dilettante founder Dana Davenport, and will include remodeling of both the exterior and the interior of the building. The Dilettante Mocha Café will open its doors to the public in November 2003.

The 1,500 square foot café will seat 20, providing both dine-in and take-away options. According to R. Joseph Keith, project architect and retail design specialist for Emkick Howard & Seibert (EH&S), the interior will include rich, elegant materials in traditional “chocolatier colors” such as orange, indigo, and shades of mocha. “We sought to combine the elegance and rich history of Dilettante with the sophistication of modern café architecture and design,” said Keith. The exterior, by Seattle-based architectural firm Fuller Sears, is distinctly contemporary and features brushed stainless steel and glass.

The new café will feature a collage of sepia photos from founder and chief chocolatier Davenport’s own family albums. Davenport points out that Dilettante’s heritage dates back more than 100 years to Julius Franzen, master confectioner to Czar Nicholas II of Russia and Davenport’s grand-uncle. “Dilettante’s chocolates are based on the recipes and methodologies meticulously recorded and handed down over generations of chocolate makers,” he said, noting that he hopes to “pay tribute to the family’s rich heritage through the prominent display of these cherished photos.”

Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers’ general manager Terry Botten said that the café will “infuse new life into an existing site”—which is a positive development for the Sheraton’s clientele as well as to the downtown business community. “We want to offer a new and exciting taste experience to downtowners and to our customers from around the globe,” Botten said. “Dilettante is the perfect partner to bring such flavor to life.”

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Dilettante founder Davenport said he is pleased to implement an idea the company has had on the back burner for some time. Says Davenport of the new enterprise: “We’ve long thought about redefining the premium chocolate experience in the form of a beverage. When the Sheraton approached us, we jumped at the opportunity.”

The Dilettante Chocolate Company has its corporate offices and production facilities in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1976 the company has three retail outlets in Seattle, including a café and patisserie. Dilettante chocolates can be found at the company’s retail shops, in national chains, and online. For more information, visit www.dilettante.com.

EH&S is a full-service retail planning, architecture, and interior design firm for financial and corporate clients throughout the United States. Located in Seattle, the 25-year old company also provides strategic planning and project management services. For more information, visit www.ehs-design.com.

The 840-room Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers is located at 1400 Sixth Avenue in downtown Seattle and is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with some 750 properties in more than 80 countries and 105,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. For more information, visit www.starwood.com.

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