The Product
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is entering the Dubai-style chocolate segment with a new SQUARES® SKU built around the pistachio-and-kataifi flavor profile that has driven significant consumer interest across retail confectionery over the past two years. The Dubai Style Chocolate SQUARES® — priced at $10.99 for a 4.4 oz. bag — hit major retailers nationwide and Ghirardelli.com on October 14, 2026, extending one of the brand's highest-visibility formats into a trending flavor territory.
The format itself was re-engineered for the launch. Ghirardelli developed a taller-profile square to accommodate the layered filling — creamy pistachio paste over crispy kataifi shredded pastry — encased in rich milk chocolate. The individually wrapped format keeps the product positioned for at-home snacking and on-the-go convenience, two channels that have anchored premium confectionery growth in the post-pandemic retail environment.
Market Context
Dubai-style chocolate — anchored by the pistachio-kataifi combination popularized by Dubai-based chocolate makers and amplified through social media — has rapidly moved from viral novelty to a recognized flavor category on U.S. retail shelves. Mass-market and specialty confectionery brands alike have introduced interpretations, making the Ghirardelli entry a signal that the trend has reached mainstream premiumization territory rather than fading as a seasonal LTO.
For foodservice and hospitality operators tracking ingredient and flavor trends — particularly dessert and confectionery applications — the durability of the pistachio-kataifi profile across multiple brand launches suggests staying power as a pastry and plated-dessert component. Kataifi, long used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean bakery, has found a new on-trend context that appeals to both operators and retail buyers sourcing differentiated dessert ingredients.
"Consumers continue to be drawn to the rich pistachio filling and crispy kataifi texture that define Dubai-style chocolate," said Bobby Oliver, Vice President and Head of Marketing at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. "We've brought that experience into Ghirardelli's iconic format while delivering the premium quality that consumers expect from our brand."
Brand Positioning
Founded in San Francisco in 1852, Ghirardelli controls its supply chain from cocoa sourcing through finished product — a bean-to-bar model that supports premium retail price points and brand credibility in a crowded confectionery aisle. The company's SQUARES® line is among its most recognized retail formats, giving the Dubai-style entry immediate shelf visibility and built-in consumer familiarity. At $10.99 for 4.4 oz., the price per ounce positions the SKU firmly in the premium tier, consistent with the brand's broader retail confectionery strategy.
The launch is framed as an evolution of the brand's ongoing exploration of Dubai-style chocolate rather than a one-off LTO — a positioning choice that suggests Ghirardelli views the pistachio-kataifi flavor set as a platform with repeat-purchase potential rather than a limited promotional window.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
