Did you know that chocolate recently made a special appearance in the streets of the Bay Area? This September, San Francisco debuted the first ever San Francisco Chocolate Week. From September 19-28, a variety of stores and shops participated in Chocolate Week by creating brand new chocolate dishes. For the week, if a customer had signed up for a chocolate passport—an online ticket that cost $10—they would be able to receive discounts and even free items in different stores. Multiple stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and patisseries across the Bay Area participated in this chocolate-filled week.
San Francisco has a long history with chocolate that started during the Gold Rush. In the mid-19th century, entrepreneurs Domenico Ghirardelli and Etienne Guittard arrived in San Francisco. Their aim to bring luxuries to the new city drove the two of them to open their own stores. Ghirardelli started a general store before opening his confectionery store that remains well-known to this day. As time went on, Ghirardelli continued to sell chocolate in the US while Guittard eventually moved back to France with his confections. Ghiradelli is now the third oldest chocolate brand in the United States. His legacy has connected San Francisco’s history to the world of chocolate.
As San Francisco started becoming a home for immigrants and newcomers, many cultures began to showcase their traditional cuisines and dishes across San Francisco. They did so by opening their own restaurants and stores, eventually leading to communities now known as Chinatown, Japantown, and Little Italy (or North Beach).
During Chocolate Week, each of these neighbors had participating stores showcasing how chocolate integrated with their cuisine. After researching, I decided to sample treats across San Francisco’s neighborhoods: K. Minamoto, specializing in Japanese sweets; U Dessert Story in the mission district, serving Asian-inspired desserts; Z. Cioccolato in Little Italy; and ONE65 Patisserie near the theater district, dedicated to French delicacies.
I interviewed employees from these bakeries, who all enjoyed seeing the influx of people coming to explore SF thanks to Chocolate Week. Naomi, an employee from K. Minamoto said, “I found it interesting that they have something that kinda forces people to explore San Francisco in a fun way.” An employee from ONE65 Patiserie shared his thoughts on Chocolate Week: “Because our store is heavily based on chocolate it only made sense to join… We’re happy that a lot of people are exploring San Francisco because of it.” Chocolate Week’s concept of highlighting businesses and restaurants around the city produced a fun, lively atmosphere, even in less bustling parts of the city.
San Francisco Chocolate Week truly has something for everyone. The week was a fun experience not only for customers, but employees and store owners as well. People of all ages could partake in this amazing week, from chocolate bars and ice cream for younger audiences to chocolate bingsu and mochi for someone craving an Asian twist.
The event ranged from Berkeley to Alameda and many more parts of the Bay, accomplishing Chocolate Week’s goal of letting people explore the Bay Area. As the years go by, Chocolate Week is planned to make annual returns, making it a celebration for the community. Chocolate Week or not, it’s always great to visit the city by the Bay and enjoy the treats it has to offer. Start exploring!
