Noosa Chocolate Factory

Noosa Chocolate Factory brings its handmade chocolate tradition to Maroochydore with two Sunshine Plaza locations: a cafe and retail shop on Level 1, plus a concept shop on the ground floor. The business began in 2009 in a small family-run kitchen in Noosaville and has grown into a Queensland chocolate brand with stores across the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane. Its story remains centred on small-batch production, traditional methods and chocolate made fresh rather than mass-produced.

The range includes chunky chocolate slabs, panned chocolate, handmade confectionery, rocky road, gift hampers and seasonal creations. Honeycomb is a current speciality, available as crushed chocolate slabs or larger pieces coated in milk or dark chocolate. The site also highlights Noosa Crunch, made with freshly popped corn, Sunshine Coast macadamias and toasted coconut, along with rocky road containing handmade marshmallow and strawberry jelly. Other named favourites include Smashed Raspberry Slab, Marble Hazelnuts and Mango Macadamias.

For a drink alongside the sweets, the cafe menu includes speciality hot chocolate, iced chocolate, mocha and espresso coffee. The hot chocolates are made with the factory’s own chocolate blends rather than syrups or powders, with different cacao percentages and dairy-free options available for selected drinks. Coffee is brewed with Padre Coffee’s Daddy’s Girl blend, using Colombian and Brazilian beans. The website also lists a Rocky Road hot chocolate, combining the drink with chocolate, marshmallow, strawberry jelly and coconut.

The venue suits a quick chocolate stop while shopping at Sunshine Plaza, a takeaway coffee and treat run, or choosing a gift hamper or personalised chocolate selection. It may also appeal to visitors interested in how the products are made: the factory describes its chocolate as handmade, uses local produce where possible, and says each piece is made and sold within 72 hours. Its chocolate is also promoted as free from palm and vegetable oils, with cocoa butter retained rather than substituted.