Ghirardelli Chocolate
The Chocolate Connoisseur July 18th, 2007
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company first opened in 1852 and has been in consistent operation since that year. The name is often incorrectly pronounced; the proper pronunciation of Ghirardelli name is “Gear-ar-delly”. The first factory opened on Greenwich and Powell Streets in San Francisco. The Ghirardelli Company operates a factory, chocolaterie, café and soda fountain in San Francisco. There is an area referred to as Ghirardelli Square where all the company businesses are located. The company has a rich legacy of chocolate making with the founders of the company being Domenico Ghirardelli, although he later changed his first name to Domingo.
During the Gold Rush, Mr. Ghirardelli discovered that the miners were willing to spend their hard-earned money on the luxury of chocolate. The first store was opened in Stockton, California. In the late 1800s, Ghirardelli hired local artists to create posters to advertise his chocolate products. This strategy proved to be lucrative as it brought many consumers into his shop. In 1892 Mr. Ghirardelli retired from the chocolate business, leaving the company in the hands of his three sons. Two years later, Mr. Ghirardelli died at the age of 77 in Italy.
His sons carried on with the company and have continued to keep the company growing and flourishing through the years. With the devastation of the great earthquake and fire in San Francisco of 1906, the company was able to continue to produce the chocolate within ten days of the earthquake, far before most businesses were able to reopen. In 1923 a 15-foot sign was added to the building by the Ghirardelli brothers to welcome people in the Bay area and can still be seen from the Golden Gate Bridge.
What makes the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company unique is that the products are made directly by the company through the complete process from start to finish. For over 150 years, all processes, from the choice of the cocoa beans, to ensure only the highest quality of beans are used, to the finished product, have been the responsibility of the company. The cocoa beans used in the products are of the best quality to achieve the maximum flavor in the chocolate. The factory roasts the beans in-house to instill the signature flavor in the process. The Ghirardelli Company has always followed the practice of removing the cocoa bean nibs before roasting to maximize the true cocoa flavor, which is an attention to detail other companies do not follow. The company has a refining process that allows the chocolate to become very fine particles to ensure that is products will retain a smooth consistency that will melt in the mouth.
The year 2002 saw the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company celebrate 150 years of production and the continued success of this organization. It has proven to be an elite chocolate company and has added more products throughout the years as well as continuing to produce their tried and true favorites.
