Roasted Coffee Beans, Robusta ,
History
Origins
In 1817, Domenico Ghirardelli was born in Rapallo, Italy, to an “exotic foods importer” and his wife. Domenico received his first education in the chocolate trade when he was apprenticed to a local candymaker as a child. By the time he was 20, Ghirardelli sailed to Uruguay with his wife to work in a chocolate and coffee business. A year later, Ghirardelli moved to Lima, Peru, and opened a confectionery store. In 1847, nine years later, James Lick (Ghirardelli’s neighbor) moved to San Francisco with 600 pounds of Ghirardelli’s chocolate. Ghirardelli remained and continued to operate his store in Peru.
The move to California
Ghirardelli Square, in San Francisco, California , soya bean .
In 1849, Ghirardelli received news of the gold strike at Sutter Mill and sailed to California. After doing some prospecting, Ghirardelli opened a general store in Stockton, California, offering supplies and confections to fellow miners in town. Ghirardelli’s tent-based store was one of the first shops set up in the area , frozen beans .
Several months later, Ghirardelli opened a second store on the corner of Broadway and Battery in San Francisco, which became, in 1852, his first establishment in that city.
Early History in San Francisco
A fire on May 3, 1852 destroyed Ghirardelli’s San Francisco business, and a few days later, his Stockton store also burned down. However, in September of the same year, Ghirardelli used his remaining assets to open the Cairo Coffee House in San Francisco. This business venture proved unsuccessful, and Ghirardelli opened a new store, named “Ghirardely & Girard”, on the corner of Washington and Kearny Streets in San Francisco. Soon afterward, Ghirardelli was making enough money to send for his family, who were still living in Peru. He changed the company’s name to “Mrs. Ghirardelli & Co.” and, in 1852, imported 200 pounds of cocoa beans. The company was incorporated in 1852 and has been in continuous operation since.
The next year, in 1853, the business relocated to the corner of Jackson and Mason Streets. By 1855, a larger manufacturing facility was needed, and so the factory was moved to the corner of Greenwich and Powell Streets, while the office remained at the previous location. By 1866, the company was importing 1000 pounds of cocoa beans a year. During this time, the company sold liquor, but dropped their line of alcoholic products in 1864. By that time, the company not only sold chocolate, but also coffee and spices to the United States, China, Japan, and Mexico. In 1885, the company imported 450,000 pounds of cocoa beans.
The Ghirardelli sign in San Francisco
In 1892, Ghiradelli retired as head of the company and was replaced by his three sons. Eight years later, Ghirardelli passed away at the age of 77 in Rapallo, Italy.
By 1900, Ghirardelli’s company was selling only chocolate and mustard, having sold its coffee and spices businesses. Further expansion over the years into different buildings allowed the company to expand into new markets and grow financially. In 1965, San Francisco declared Ghirardelli Square (where many of the Ghirardelli buildings were constructed) an official city landmark. Two years later, production facilities moved to San Leandro, California.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was bought by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company, maker of Rice-A-Roni, in 1963. Later, in 1986, Quaker Oats bought Golden Grain, and thus Ghirardelli. In 1992, Quaker Oats sold the Ghirardelli Chocolate division to a private investment group. John J. Anton, from that group, became the president and CEO of the newly independent Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. Lindt and Sprngli, from Switzerland, acquired Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in 1998 as a wholly owned subsidiary of its holding company.
Production
Ghirardelli is one of the few chocolate companies in the United States to control every aspect of its chocolate manufacturing process, rejecting up to 40% of the cocoa beans shipped in order to select what the company calls the “highest quality” beans. The company then roasts the cocoa beans in-house by removing the outer shell on the bean and roasting the inside of the bean, or the nibs. The chocolate is then ground and refined until the flakes are 19 micrometres in size.
Products
Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop at Ghirardelli Square, in San Francisco, California.
Ghirardelli produces several flavors of chocolate. The chocolate is sold in bar version or is cut up into squares and individually packaged. Chocolate varieties include:
Milk chocolate
Milk chocolate with caramel filling
Milk chocolate with caramelized almonds
Milk chocolate with peanut butter
60% cacao dark chocolate
60% cacao dark chocolate with caramel filling
60% cacao dark chocolate with espresso beans
72% cacao (Twilight Delight)
80% cacao dark chocolate
86% cacao (Midnight Reverie)
Dark chocolate with mint filling
Dark chocolate with raspberry filling
White chocolate with vanilla bean
Peppermint bark, layered white and milk chocolate with candy cane pieces (holiday exclusive)
Cinnamon-spiced almond (holiday exclusive)
Egg nog (holiday exclusive)
Pecan pie (holiday exclusive)
Ghirardelli also sells food service items, like chocolate beverages and flavored sauces, to other retailers.
External links
Ghirardelli website
Lindt website
References
^ a b c d e f g h “The Ghirardelli Story A Rich Heritage”. Ghirardelli Chocolate. http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/history.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
^ a b “Foodservice”. Ghirardelli Chocolate. http://www.ghirardelli.com/foodservice/. Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
^ a b “About Ghirardelli”. Ghirardelli Chocolate. http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/. Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
^ “The Ghirardelli Difference”. Ghirardelli Chocolate. http://www.ghirardelli.com/about/ghirardelli_difference.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
^ “Confection & Beverages”. Ghirardelli Chocolate. http://www.ghirardelli.com/products/conf_bev.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-09-09.
v d e
San Francisco attractions
Landmarks
49-Mile Drive Alcatraz Bay Bridge Cable Cars The Castro Chinatown City Hall Cliff House Coit Tower F-Market Streetcar Fairmont Hotel Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco San Francisco Ferry Building Fisherman’s Wharf Fort Mason Fort Point Ghirardelli Square Golden Gate Bridge Grace Cathedral Haight-Ashbury Lombard Street Mission Dolores Nob Hill North Beach Old U.S. Mint Painted Ladies Palace of Fine Arts Pier 39 San Francisco Public Library Transamerica Pyramid Treasure Island Union Square
Museums
Asian Art Museum Aquarium of the Bay Cable Car Museum California Academy of Sciences Palace of the Legion of Honor Cartoon Art Museum Chinese Historical Society Museum Conservatory of Flowers Contemporary Jewish Museum de Young Museum Exploratorium Haas-Lilienthal House International Museum of Women Muse Mcanique Museum of Performance & Design Museum of the African Diaspora Randall Museum Ripley’s Believe It or Not! SFMOMA San Francisco Maritime San Francisco Railway Museum USS Pampanito Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts Zeum
Recreation & parks
Alamo Square Candlestick Point Crissy Field Dolores Park Farallon Islands Glen Canyon Golden Gate National Recreation Area Golden Gate Park Lake Merced Ocean Beach The Presidio San Francisco Zoo Stern Grove Yerba Buena Gardens
Entertainment
American Conservatory Theater Bill Graham Civic Auditorium The Fillmore Festivals & fairs War Memorial and Performing Arts Center Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Higher education
UCSF UC Hastings San Francisco State University of San Francisco City College of San Francisco
Sports
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco Giants AT&T Park Cow Palace Candlestick Park Kezar Stadium Bay to Breakers
Food & drink
Anchor Steam Boudin Bakery Cioppino Dungeness crab Ghirardelli IT’S-IT Ice Cream Mission burrito Rice-A-Roni Sourdough bread Top of the Mark
Commerce
Bechtel Charles Schwab Gap McKesson PG&E Stonestown Galleria Wells Fargo Westfield San Francisco Centre
Categories: Companies based in San Francisco, California | Chocolatiers | Companies based in Alameda County, California | Confectionery companies of the United States
