Chocolate and Sweets · San Francisco, California
Charles Chocolates
Handmade San Francisco chocolates from a self-taught chocolatier.
- Founded
- 2004
- Founded by
- Chuck Siegel
- Based in
- San Francisco, California
Their story
Chuck Siegel has called San Francisco home since 1986 and started making chocolate in college. Self-taught, he credits Bay Area chocolate figures Joseph Schmidt and Alice Medrich as early mentors, and ran an earlier company, Attivo Confections, in Emeryville before opening Charles Chocolates in 2004.
The business shut down unexpectedly in 2011 after losing a major investor. Siegel rebuilt it with help from about 400 Kickstarter backers, buying back the company's assets and moving into a former brewery space at 535 Florida Street in the Mission.
The new shop opened with an open kitchen where visitors could watch chocolates being made, along with plans to help train young chocolatiers.
How it's made
Confections are made by hand using organic herbs, fruits and nuts along with organic cream and butter. Because they rely on fresh dairy and nuts, some pieces are meant to be enjoyed fresh. The lineup has included fleur de sel caramels, classic truffles and a salty sweet cashew bar that won a 2011 Good Food Award.
Our featured pick
Toffee Coffee Mini Chocolate Bar (1.4OZ)
$3.50
The producer fresh almond toffee is cooked in copper kettles, cooled and broken into large chunks and combined with locally roasted coffee beans and the producer dark milk chocolate.
Shop Charles Chocolates
3 in stock
Chocolate only exists to bring joy and we eat it for pure pleasure.
Why we carry them
We are proud to carry chocolates made right here in San Francisco. Charles Chocolates are a lovely local gift.
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