One Chocolate Corporation, the owners of iconic Aurora chocolatier Fraktals, has declared bankruptcy.
A notice posted on the door of its retail location on Industrial Parkway South said that One Chocolate Corporation made an “assignment in bankruptcy on Jan. 27,” with Markham-based Krieger & Company Inc. being appointed as trustee of the estate.
“The trustee is working with stakeholders to determine next steps to maximize value for creditors,” according to Michael Krieger, licensed insolvency trustee with Krieger & Company Inc.
The notice further adds that anyone who tries to take property assets without written permission is "liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and/or to imprisonment or a term not exceeding two years."
The company’s retail location, at 145 Industrial Pkwy. S., had been closed for several days leading up to the notice being posted.
One Chocolate Corporation did not respond to multiple requests for comment in time for publication.
One Chocolate bought Fraktals from its founder, Ingrid Kulbach in 2014.
Famed for its distinctive buttercrunch, the company sold out of its Aurora location and in several other large chain stores across the country. One fan said the treat was popular among her colleagues.
“Well, I just got all my friends addicted to it, addicted to the buttercrunch, and I’m so upset that they’re closing,” she said. “We go in the office once a week and it’s the treat that I bring in, that everyone is so excited to have.”
“Now what am I going to get? There’s just something special about the dark chocolate and buttercrunch toffee combination that you can’t find anywhere else," she added. "I’m just so disappointed.”
“It’s what everyone gets in their stocking over the holidays, it’s treats that people pass around the office, however you celebrate,” she said. “And now that this treat is going to be gone, a little magic is going to be gone with it. It’s really a shame.”