The Latest Installment of the Chocolate Saga!
San Diego, Calif. (July 5, 2023)—In what has become a beloved tradition,
the San Diego Convention Center announces a sweet suite of limited-edition
chocolate bars to be sold during this summer’s world-renowned Comic-Con
International: San Diego (Comic-Con) event. 5,000 handcrafted bars, 1,250
of each flavor, will be sold during Comic-Con from July 20-23, 2023.
The Convention Center’s Executive Chef Sufi Karaien and Pastry Chef
Kristianna Zabala teamed up to develop four new flavors that honor the fun
and whimsy of the convention. The Sodexo Live! The culinary team makes 100
candy bars every 90 minutes inside the onsite kitchen, hand-wrapping each one
with care during the weeks leading up to the major pop culture event.
First Look at the 2023 Flavors
* A s’more like never before, the Oooh Bay bar is a fresh take on
the classic fireside snack. Overflowing with torched ube marshmallow and
house-made ube graham, the white chocolate shell brings it all together
for a chocolate bar as picturesque as the San Diego Bay.
* The champion of our childhoods comes to save the day again! The
Lunchbox Hero bar evokes the classic PB&J in a milk chocolate shell with
peanut butter rice crisps and concord grape jelly.
* Strange sightings in the fields at night can only mean one thing: the
out-of-this-world flavors of the Crop Circle Crunch bar brought visitors
from beyond! This sweet blueberry cornbread creation features white
chocolate, crispy sweet cornbread, dried blueberries, and honeycomb
candy.
* Flavors pop like colorful costumes in the Cosplay Crackle bar, a
spectacular combination of dark chocolate, strawberry Pop Rocks,
freeze-dried strawberries, and basil garnish.
“Beyond the creative combinations, the flavors reflect the diversity
of our culinary team and our region, especially evident through the
vibrant ube flavor of the ‘Oooh Bay’ bar,” Karaien said. “Here
in our kitchen, you know it’s summer when the chocolate-making
begins!”
_ _
After the chefs develop the concepts, the Convention Center’s creative
team tastes the chocolate for inspiration while developing names and
themes. The bars are then brought to life through design by Grayson Van
Loon, Graphic Designer, and video animations by Dylan James, Digital
Communications Specialist.
The craft chocolates will be priced at $10 each. In 2022, the Convention
Center’s food and beverage team created more than 4,000 chocolate bars
over four days, selling out every day of the convention. This tasty tradition
started in 2016 as an exclusive offering for event attendees.
Golden tickets will be hidden inside four of the chocolate bars. Each
golden ticket can be redeemed for a $100 Starbucks gift card.
Concessions available during the event include Starbucks, Auntie
Anne’s Pretzels, Craft Beer-Battered So Cal Fish Tacos, Carne Asada
Burritos, and additional grab-and-go options throughout the building.
With a robust program of speakers, exhibits, films, and games,
Comic-Con attracts more than 135,000 attendees, creating a regional
economic impact of more than $160 million and tax revenues of more than
$3 million to the City of San Diego.
