Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter occupies 643 Fifth Avenue inside a 1912 building that originally opened as the Casino Theatre, retaining the Art Deco marquee from the structure's 1930s remodel. The San Francisco-based chocolatier — founded by Italian immigrant Domingo Ghirardelli in 1852 — stirs 56-pound kettles of chocolate daily to produce the handmade hot fudge that anchors its World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae, a made-on-site process distinct from the pre-packaged scooping format at Salt & Straw on India Street. Chocolatiers hand-dip strawberries, build waffle cones from scratch, and offer complimentary chocolate samples in the foyer, extending the retail experience across boxed gift sets, bars, and seasonal collections. The 19th-century chocolate advertisements framed throughout the interior trace the brand's history from Gold Rush-era San Francisco to its current status under Swiss parent Lindt & Sprüngli, connecting the shop to the same Fifth Avenue Gaslamp sweets corridor that draws foot traffic to Seaport Fudge Factory near the waterfront. The most involved production is the custom sundae buildout, where chocolatiers will recreate discontinued or off-menu recipes on request from the full ingredient station.