What Fresco Chocolate does

Fresco Chocolate is a small-batch, family-owned artisan chocolate maker founded in 2003 by Amy and Rob Anderson and headquartered in Lynden, Washington. The company produces single-origin dark chocolate bars (70-100% cacao) from beans sourced directly from named origin partners in Madagascar (Akesson's Bejofo Estate), the Dominican Republic (Öko Caribe), Guatemala (ASIPASM / Polochic Valley), Ghana (Three Mountains Cocoa), Nicaragua (Ingemann Fine Cocoa), and Venezuela (Chuao). The production process uses traditional methods — drum-roasting, granite mélange stone grinding, variable conching, and tempering — and the company publishes a unique recipe number on each bar documenting origin, percentage, roast level, and conche level, an unusual transparency practice in the category.

Fresco monetizes through direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Shopify storefront), in-person retail pickup at its Lynden factory, gift card sales, and tasting classes priced at $40 per person. The product portfolio of approximately 39 SKUs spans single-origin bars ($11-$18), curated tasting flights ($50-$117), award-winning collections ($80), drinking chocolate, 100% medallions for home chefs, and specialty items such as chocolate-covered marshmallows and bark. Distribution extends through independent retailers and specialty food stores across 11 US states and internationally to Canada, the UK, and France, with named retail partners including Bi-Rite Market, Four Barrel Coffee, Central Market (Texas), and Soma Chocolate (Toronto).

The business model is small-batch and vertically focused on craft quality rather than scale. Products are free from nuts, dairy, gluten, and soy, with allergen transparency used as a positioning lever. The company conducts regular third-party food safety testing for pathogens and heavy metals (lead, cadmium) and has reported zero positive results. There is no disclosed outside investment, no parent company, and no public revenue disclosure; the company operates as a privately held lifestyle craft business.

Name

Fresco Chocolate

Legal name

FRESCO CHOCOLATE

Website

https://frescochocolate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fresco Chocolate is a family-owned, small-batch artisan chocolate maker in Lynden, Washington, producing single-origin dark chocolate bars and tasting collections from traceable cocoa origins. It sells via DTC e-commerce, retail partners across the US, Canada, the UK, and France, and in-person tasting classes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Single-Origin Chocolate

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Single origin chocolate
• Artisan chocolate bars
• Small batch chocolate
• Chocolate tasting flights
• Bean to bar chocolate

Headquarters

HQ city

Lynden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: E-commerce sales of chocolate bars, tasting flights, drinking chocolate, chocolate-covered snacks, and marshmallows. One-time purchase model with per-transaction pricing.
2. Tasting Classes: In-person tasting classes at the factory location, such as the Chocolate Origins Tasting Class priced at $40 per person.
3. Gift Cards: Gift card sales for future purchases through their e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fresco Chocolate produces small-batch, single-origin dark chocolate bars (70-100% cacao) from three ingredients (cocoa beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter) using traditional stone grinding with granite mélange machines. The company sells chocolate bars, tasting flight collections, drinking chocolate, chocolate medallions for home chefs, chocolate-covered treats, and in-person tasting classes directly through its e-commerce site, factory pickup, and a network of independent retail partners across the US and abroad.

Product overview

Fresco Chocolate is a small-batch artisan chocolate maker offering single-origin dark chocolate bars, tasting collections, and specialty chocolate products. Their core portfolio includes chocolate bars in 70-100% cacao percentages with varied roast profiles (light, medium, dark) and conche levels, sourced from single origins including Madagascar, Guatemala, Dominican Republic (Öko Caribe), Ghana, Nicaragua (O'Payo), and Venezuela (Chuao). Tasting collections (Origins Tasting Flight, 100% Tasting Flight, Roasting Tasting Flight) allow consumers to explore flavor differences between origins and roast levels. Specialty products include drinking chocolate, chocolate medallions for home chefs, chocolate-covered marshmallows, bark, and potato chips. The company also offers tasting classes as an educational experience. All products are crafted from three simple ingredients: cocoa beans, cane sugar, and cocoa butter, using stone grinding and traditional chocolate-making methods at their Lynden, WA facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marshmallows: Raspberry (Handmade Chocolate-Covered Raspberry Marshmallows)

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ingemann Fine CocoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSourcing partner for Nicaragua O'Payo cacao. Ingemann connects over 1,000 cacao producers to global markets, directly supporting more than 5,000 workers and their families. Through collaborative efforts, over 1,000,000 cacao trees have been planted, contributing to Nicaragua's reforestation initiatives.
• Uncommon CacaocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS partner that works directly with Öko Caribe to source and distribute exceptional cacao beans from the Dominican Republic. Provides access to high-quality organic, Fair Trade cocoa.
• Diamond Custom Machines (DCM)supportingTechnology or IntegrationEquipment supplier for mélange (stone grinder) machines. Purchased winnower from DCM previously with excellent customer service. New mélange machine added to expand chocolate-making capacity.
• The C ShopsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in Birch Bay, WA. Marshmallows are manufactured with The C Shop. Also collaborated on Cocoa Nib Brittle recipe with Keith at The C Shop.
• Three Mountains CocoacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhana cacao sourcing partner from the Mirasa Hills Forest Reserve in south-central Ghana. Committed to sustainable, high-quality farming practices for their Three Mountains cacao.
• Akesson's Bejofo EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMadagascar cacao supplier. Akesson's Bejofo Estate spans 5,400 acres across five farms in the Sambirano Valley. Has produced world-famous cacao since 1920 with a six-day fermentation process.
• Öko CaribecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium organic, Fair Trade cacao producer in the Dominican Republic. Owners Adriano de Jesus Rodriguez and Gualberto Acebey Torrejon support 127 producers with technical training, agronomic expertise, and organic certification. Annual production of 500+ tons.
• ASIPASM (Asociación Integral de Pequeños Productores Agroforestales de la Sierra de las Minas)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuatemala cacao supplier comprising 177 Q'eqchi' Maya smallholder farming families across seven communities in the Polochic Valley. Formed to reforest areas through cacao agroforestry and operates fermentation house, drying decks, and warehouse.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Dandelion Chocolate: San Francisco-based bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker offering single-origin chocolate bars from select cacao origins. Directly comparable on bean-to-bar positioning, transparency, factory retail experience, and educational tasting classes.
• Mast Chocolate (formerly Mast Brothers): Brooklyn-based bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker focused on single-origin bars with detailed origin storytelling. Comparable on craft positioning, premium DTC pricing, and bar-by-bar origin differentiation.
• Askinosie Chocolate: Springfield, MO bean-to-bar maker with direct trade sourcing relationships and transparency-focused branding. Comparable on craft positioning, single-origin sourcing model, and small-batch production.
• Soma Chocolatemaker: Toronto-based bean-to-bar craft chocolate maker with retail locations. Directly relevant — already a retail partner of Fresco — and comparable on craft positioning, tasting room concept, and single-origin bars.
• Taza Chocolate: Somerville, MA stone-ground Mexican-style chocolate maker using traditional stone grinding methods. Directly comparable to Fresco's granite mélange stone grinding process and craft positioning.
• Patric Chocolate: Columbia, MO bean-to-bar maker with strong international award credentials and single-origin focus. Comparable on craft positioning, award-winning reputation, and small-batch scale.
• Amano Artisan Chocolate: Utah-based artisan chocolate maker focused on single-origin bars and award-winning craft positioning. Comparable on premium single-origin bean-to-bar model.
• Raaka Chocolate: Brooklyn-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker specializing in unroasted (raw) chocolate and direct trade sourcing. Comparable on craft bean-to-bar positioning and single-origin transparency.
• Rogue Chocolatier: Massachusetts-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker with single-origin focus. Comparable on craft positioning, single-origin bars, and small-batch production scale.

Broad incumbents

• Scharffen Berger: Heritage premium chocolate brand acquired by Hershey's, known for high-cacao content bars. Referenced in Fresco's founding story (Rob Anderson was inspired by a Scharffen Berger factory visit). Comparable on premium positioning and dark chocolate category leadership.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/frescochocolat
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChocolateFresco
• Instagraminstagram.com/frescochocolate
• TikToktiktok.com/@frescochocolate?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fresco-chocolate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fresco Chocolate