Tony’s Chocolonely, the iconic chocolate brand, has one of the most beautiful and photographed retail attractions in Amsterdam: the Tony’s Super Store. It has been a hit among day-trippers and foreign tourists for many years. Sandenburg Experiences (formerly Sandenburg-DST) was closely involved from concept to realization in the development of the retail concept that focuses on storytelling and taste experience.

Iconic Location

The Super Store is actually located in a monumental building where cocoa trading took place as early as 1903: the Beurs van Berlage on Damrak opposite the station. The Sandenburg Experiences (formerly Sandenburg-DST) team wanted to create a place where Tony Chocolonely could welcome its chocofans and serious friends, at the same time breathing life in its own mission ‘Crazy about chocolate serious about people’.

The B Corp brand aims to make the cocoa industry one day 100% slave-free. This also goes for the mainstream chocolate brands. You feel this strong sense of urgency experiencing the store concept and the customer approach by the store staff. These ‘Tony’s superstars’ are not afraid to answer consumers’ critical questions and explain Tony’s Chocolonely’s message about abuses in the cocoa industry, and how people can make an impact by combining forces.

Commercial Business Model

Tony’s Super Store is not a marketing tool. It has commercial and mission-driven objectives. Together with Sandenburg Experiences (formerly Sandenburg-DST), the team of Tony’s has looked at the added value of getting customers to return by building valuable memories with visitors and customers. The store format is basically a hybrid environment where offline and online touchpoints meet. Any visitor can take a virtual journey through the cocoa world and experience how Tony’s chocolate bars are made. There are also other striking elements, such as the Mega-Super-choco machine, a large vending chocolate bar machine which looks a bit like an oversized gambling machine. Here you can select your personal favorites in terms of taste.

Mini Factory

An absolute eye-catcher is the mini-factory with a Make Your Own bar machine, where you can literally design and assemble your own bar. You can choose from milk and dark variants and add your own ingredients. You can also personalize the bar with your own name. This can be done inside the store and online. Develop your own Tony’s Unlimiteds chocolate bar, from flavor, ingredients to the wrapper. Follow live the production at Tony’s Unlimiteds fully automated production line in the store. Within 45 minutes, you can pick it up at the counter with your personal QR code.

Mission-Driven Sales

The Super Store has become one of the busiest stores in Amsterdam, thanks to all the TikTok movies visitors upload. Not only because of the assortment, merchandise, and constant temptation to taste and buy. The secret to the success is the way in which customers make an active connection with the brand’s mission. It has turned into a favorite destination for lovers of Tony’s Chocolonely who become fans and spread the message. The Super Store is more than just a functional showcase: as a concept store, it tells a recognizable story about the journey to slave-free cocoa. Fiction Factory and Studio Yipp have assisted in the design and execution of the concept on behalf of Sandenburg Experiences (formerly Sandenburg-DST).

Project team

Rogier Sterk

Director Concept Development

Markus Konings

CEO Sandenburg Experiences

Jamie van de Bilt

Brand Identity Designer