Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco carrying on a Bay Area legacy
Before it melts in your mouth, chocolate begins as a large cocoa pod. That transformation from bitter bean to rich bar is on full display at Dandelion Chocolate's factory in San Francisco's Mission District, where co-founder Todd Masonis leads a movement that's both global and yet deeply rooted in local tradition.
"I had a career in the tech industry," Masonis said. "And after I had finished that, I had some free time and started roasting up cocoa beans in a garage with some friends."
That hobby-turned-business has grown into one of San Francisco's best-known craft chocolate makers. The company, which began in 2010, is a fitting tribute to San Francisco's rich chocolate legacy.
"I think that San Francisco has always been a chocolate city," Masonis said. "You have Ghirardelli, you also have Guittard, you had Scharffen Berger in the East Bay which kicked off the whole new American chocolate movement. So, we kind of view ourselves as continuing that tradition. We're just kind of next in that progression."
Inside Dandelion's factory, the process remains intimate, machines assist with scaling, but each bean is still cracked, sorted, and roasted with care. The company focuses on transparency and origin, crafting single-origin bars that highlight the unique flavor profiles of beans from around the world.
But for Masonis, the mission extends beyond flavor.
"I just love being able to share our chocolate with the world, certainly within San Francisco, but, you know, more recently I went to a farm in the Solomon Islands and at a small chocolate shop, I found our book at the counter. They said, 'This is how we started our company.' And it's just amazing what they've learned from us sharing our knowledge. So, it's been really great to be part of this bigger community," he said.
The entrepreneurial spirit that drove Masonis in Silicon Valley is still present, just channeled into something a bit sweeter.
"You know, no one ever said they loved my software," he said with a smile. "But everyone loves chocolate. So, that makes us happy."
As San Francisco celebrates Chocolate Week with tastings, tours, and tributes to the city's chocolate pioneers, Dandelion remains focused on its everyday mission: creating exceptional chocolate and sharing it with a growing global community.
After all, as Masonis puts it, "Every day is chocolate day at Dandelion."