The new restaurant in the emporium is a big hit amongst our community. PHOTO CREDIT: Maddie Bataille | Photo editor
The Kingston Emporium’s newest edition, ChocoLoco: Crepe and Waffle Bar, is exactly what the University of Rhode Island has been missing.
I spotted the new restaurant on the way to run errands, and I just knew that I had to go in even though I wasn’t hungry.
The environment was so inviting to me. The cafe has bright red accents and is covered in greenery, quirky sayings and even features an LED sign that says “Holy Crepe.”
Not only do I appreciate a restaurant so much more when it fits my aesthetic, but you could tell that the restaurant owners care about their customers and their store.
According to its website, the chocolate bar specializes in crepes, waffles, acai bowls and specialty drinks.
Featuring everything from savory breakfast crepes like The Mediterranean, topped with sauteed spinach, tomatoes, olives, onions and feta cheese, to crepes filled with everything from berries, powdered sugar and Nutella, this shop has it all.
When I visited, I struggled when deciding between the Valentine acai bowl, made of blended Açai, coconut oil, granola, banana, Nutella, strawberry, coconut flakes and a Belgian waffle, because both options sounded so good.
I ended up getting an acai bowl, a staple for me. Not only was I surprised with how large the portions were, but there were a decent amount of toppings as well.
Usually, whenever I’m craving an acai bowl, I eat at BruRI, but I appreciate that ChocoLoco’s acai bowls are organic and vegan. Personally, I am not vegan, but I think that it is so important to have these options readily available for students.
My friend Dani Pyne, who tries to follow a vegan lifestyle, and I tried the restaurant for the first time together and I was so happy to see that she had so many options. She ended up getting a vegan Nutella crepe and she said that it was worth every penny.
In addition, not only was the employee super friendly, but I was also able to watch him make my food. I thought it was really cool to see what goes into the process and it made the experience that much better.
Something else that I noticed was that ChocoLoco is open 6 days a week, from 10:00 am to 8:00 p.m. Usually, cafes like this close early, so I was so excited to see that they are open into the evening.
I’m somebody that usually craves sweets late at night, so I can’t wait to eat some dessert at this restaurant in the near future. I also love that they’re open pretty early, so I can try one of their pressed juices with my breakfast.
Next time I go to the restaurant, I want to try the chicken and waffles. For anyone who’s feeling inspired, I would recommend trying an acai bowl on your first visit.
Overall, I am so glad that I stumbled upon ChocoLoco on a whim and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for delicious, organic food.