N early 5,000 miles from Switzerland, a small group toured the inner sanctum of an iconic 70-year-old Kansas City company — a family-run brand that helped redefine accessible luxury in the Midwest, one Swiss chocolate-covered almond at a time.
André’s Confiserie Suisse flagship location at 5018 Main St, Kansas City; photo by Joyce Smith
“What people get excited about André’s is the legacy, that we take a lot of pride in our heritage, in the way we produce things and in our packaging,” said René Bollier, president and executive chef, and the third-generation to helm André’s Confiserie Suisse. “It yells out that we are a Swiss brand in the United States.”
Onlookers granted access this week to a behind-the-scenes look at the brand’s 25,000-square-foot flagship in the South Plaza — a mix of production facility, cafe and retail shop near the just-opened last stop of the KC Streetcar line — peeked into big silver bowls of butter (André’s uses 110-pounds a day, on average)…