Hex Candy Industry

Las Vegas chocolate makers emphasize story behind cocoa beans, production process.With temperatures often surpassing 120 degrees, the Mojave Desert may not seem like the best place to set up a bean-to-bar chocolate operation. But, with hopes of creating something unique in a city known for serving up thrills, chefs Matthew Piekarski and Matthew Silverman took that challenge head on. In 2015, the friends opened Hexx Chocolate & Confexxions, as well as Hexx Restaurant & Bar, at Paris Las Vegas. In addition to serving customers in
an 8,000-sq.-ft. fi ne dining area, Piekarski, Silverman and their team produce small-batch, single-origin chocolate in an 1,100-sq.-ft. kitchen. Hexx also sells its “confexxions” in an on-site retail store and offers tours and free chocolate tastings.