Jimmie's Cafe 47 Descended From a Chocolate Shop to Serve Caribbean-Inspired Tapas

In 1946, Jimmie Vonglis and his family escaped war-torn Europe for a new life in the States. A year later, he opened the doors to Jimmie's Chocolates in Dania Beach. Vonglis is long gone, and the shop has changed hands several times since then, but his legacy lives on at...

By Sara Ventiera

September 18, 2014

Audio By Carbonatix

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In 1946, Jimmie Vonglis and his family escaped war-torn Europe for a new life in the States. A year later, he opened the doors to Jimmie's Chocolates in Dania Beach.

Vonglis is long gone, and the shop has changed hands several times since then, but his legacy lives on at his original storefront, which is hailed as the longest-running chocolate shop in the state.

The latest owners — Rodney Harrison and Ken Smith — were originally interested only in the real estate. Call it faith, stupidity, or just a spark of intuition; the two businessmen decided to take a chance and revive the chocolate shop.

The small chocolatier quickly grew from local specialty shop to full-fledged restaurant; it now serves a wide array of beer, wine, coffees, and a menu of Caribbean-inspired tapas in an Florida house right in Dania Beach. Click here to read the full review.

Sara Ventiera

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