Date Night, Friend Meetup, or Family Destination: Dave Fields Loves the Tours & Treats at Platter’s Chocolate Factory

I probably had your attention just by mentioning chocolate.

But Platter's Chocolate Factory is one of the Buffalo region's gems. It has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a low-key date night activity, want to meet up with friends, or need to entertain kiddos of any age. It's become a staple for my family.

I am the type of guy who loves to know how things work. Their self-guided tours show you how the chocolate is made and how much love and care is put into every piece of candy. It just makes me want to eat as much as possible and I always learn something new.

Videos play on loop in several public viewing areas, so you take the tour at your own pace, from the “Pouring Room” for molded chocolates to the "Candy Kitchen" where caramels, jellies, creams, and sponge are cooked and then the “enrobing line” where the kitchen candies are covered in milk, dark, white, peanut butter or orange chocolate. You also can peek inside the bakery where they make homemade pastries and hand-decorate shortbread cookies. As you stroll through the space there are a variety of historical images in the many seating areas.

It's cool to see the history of both the Wurlitzer Building and Platter's, which grew from an Easter candy operation in Carl & Vera Platter's basement in 1938 to what it is today — a spacious factory with almost 100 employees.

My wife, Elizabeth, is a coffee fiend so she loves to grab a mocha from the cafe and just relax in front of a fireplace while I am on the tour. If it were up to her, she would spend all day people-watching while enjoying her coffee with some sponge candy.

My son Avry also loves going with us when he returns from college because they always have something new in the ice cream shop. From traditional favorites to something we never knew existed (like the East Felton or 954 Oliver), he can't say no to a yummy treat.

You can buy Platter's Chocolates online at platterschocolates.com, but I encourage you to visit the factory at 908 Niagara Falls Blvd, North Tonawanda, especially if you haven't before. You'll discover so much more than you were expecting. It truly is Western New York’s Sweetest Destination!