400 Square Feet: Taking Hot Chocolate at Tiffany's

Last weekend among the masses of tourists making their way down Fifth Avenue, I stumbled into Tiffany's to use up a gift certificate that was about to expire. It's fallen off my radar the last few years so the visit felt more like a "to do" than fun shopping experience. Maybe I felt like they had sold out and were now making everything in China or maybe it just felt too mass but it wasn't me. That said, I found myself going past the nice greeters to complete my mission with low expectations and a growing headache.

My favorite things at the store isn't the famous diamond department or the Paloma Picasso sterling silver giftware but instead up on the fourth floor in the china department. They've got classic patterns like the basketwork that just seem to stand the test of time. Case in point, their holiday china. Maybe it's a southern thing but holiday china does help get me in the spirit.

As soon as I entered the floor, the shop felt different than on prior visits... fresher... they had a festive tableau that set the stage and the atmosphere felt genuinely celebratory.

Staff was handing out hot chocolate with Tiffany blue marshmallows in Tiffany labeled cups and served them with pretty cookies. Shoppers rejoiced! What a change from grumpy staffs and sale racks found at other such shops. From the patient staff to the extra touches, they were working hard to make the experience feel special and it worked.