Like a kid in a candy shop, Brenner was full of exuberance and passion for chocolate and cacao when we arrived. Only now is he able to move forward with his chocolate dreams, backed by First Foods Group. A non-compete agreement prevented him from getting into chocolate-related businesses for five years. He started a chocolate & coffee shop in Brooklyn in 2012 and was promptly sued by his previous investors. Why the change? Brenner split with the investors in Max Brenner in 2012. Where Max Brenner is an amusement park of chocolate, Blue Stripes is an ode to cacao and chocolate authenticity. Contraptions and pipes moved chocolate around the store while customers enjoyed dishes like Chocolate Chunks Pizza, Candy Bar in a Jar and Chocolate Syringe. It was a celebration of the experience of enjoying chocolate in a carnival-like atmosphere. His first venture, Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man, felt like Willy Wonka come to life. Open for six days at the time of my visit, Blue Stripes is a small, unassuming cafe for someone with Brenner’s history. He was essentially banned from chocolate, his life’s craft, for five years.I had a lot of chocolate cafe envy walking into Oded Brenner’s new chocolate shop in Union Square. According to the legal agreement, he couldn’t even use the word “chocolate” in any of his professional pursuits.īrenner was also barred from displaying his face or name in a way that promoted a new brand. The food and beverage giant sued Brenner, forcing further restrictions on his new business - called Little Brown - and ultimately forcing its collapse.Įleven years later, after a long court battle, Brenner signed a non-compete agreement with the company, which precluded him from working on any chocolate-related endeavors. In 2001, Brenner sold his Max Brenner chain to Israeli food and beverage giant Strauss. Initially, the Strauss group had been business partners and on good terms with Brenner, but the relationship went sour after Brenner opened a separate coffee shop in New York City that Strauss claimed was a breach of contract. Nellie and her younger brother Norie are too young to remember the days of Max Brenner, which became a world famous chocolate chain, so Brenner shares memories of it through short stories scattered throughout the store and on beautifully decorated gift boxes.Ī mug of cocoa emblazoned with one of Oded Brenner’s many short writings at his Blue Stripes shop in New York.

Stories of chocolateĪt the newly opened Blue Stripes Cacao Shop, Brenner tells his personal story through short pieces of text written to his daughter Nellie. He began testing out new cacao recipes, though he would be able to unveil them only later. This is when Brenner began exploring different aspects of the fruit that had, to a limited extent, made it to North America. However, after experiencing various forms of cacao in Jamaica I realized that this is an experience I have to share,” Brenner says.

“I knew the cacao fruit was a very interesting fruit from visits to plantations in Mexico. This new delectable discovery inspired him to explore the fruit’s full culinary potential. He learned that cacao pulp is a key ingredient for a fresh Jamaican smoothie. His infatuation with this new gem expanded beyond just the fruit’s bean.

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