Hi There! At ChocoKafé Collective we're on a mission to learn more about the specialty coffee and craft chocolate industry; we want to share our appreciation and ongoing journey for the artistry, flavors, origins, and makers of both industries!
ChocoKafé isn’t just a business; it’s a reflection of our journey—our mission, our passion, and our grounded curiosity.
What is ChocoKafé?
ChocoKafé Collective is built fundamentally on shared experiences of universes we have may have never explored. It is a curated online marketplace for specialty coffee and craft chocolate.
We started this business because we believe that coffee and chocolate are more than just commodities; they are experiences, craft, and stories. Our marketplace brings together small businesses, roasters, chocolatiers, and food lovers who share a passion for quality and discovery.
Why chocolate and coffee?
We like coffee and chocolate, it seems pretty natural to have them together, right? But what happens when you do? Do the flavors complement one another, does the chocolate melt and meld with the flavors of the coffee and do I need to have my coffee hot to pair them?
A good cup of coffee still tastes amazing when cooled and delicate flavors are more discernable compared to when it's hot. Conversely, flavors and aromas in fine chocolate are more prominent when melted and we take the time to slowly savor the chocolate.
"Flavor goes way beyond “tasty” or “not tasty.” It's sensation, it's chemistry, it's emotion, it's art."
— Arielle Johnson (Flavorama)
We know chocolate and coffee have a lot of similarities to consider:
- They are both made from beans grown in sub tropical/tropical regions around the world where the climate, fauna/flora, soil, etc. all contribute to the flavors and terroir.
- They both contain tannins which bind to proteins found in human saliva leading to a dry feeling in the mouth. While this doesn't inhibit the flavors, it can impact or contribute to overall enjoyment.
- Coffee and chocolate are fermented so we need to keep in mind the level of acidity.
- Roasting of both the coffee beans and the cacao beans affect the flavor.
What are we aiming for?
- Complementary Flavor Combinations: Coffee and chocolate pairings that do not compete, but bring about the best in both without making us pucker. We look for pairings where the intensity of the flavors and acidity highlight and bring forward the notes in both.
- Quality and Ethical Sourcing: Ensuring Fair Trade and Ethically Sourced Ingredients by working with farmers, chocolatiers, and roasters that use only the best and progressive practices.
- Lasting Feelings of Satisfaction: Creating experiences that leave long lasting feelings of satisfaction by building a community that appreciates the spectrum of breadth and depth chocolate and coffee provides.
Our Mission
At the heart of ChocoKafé is a simple idea: Elevate the everyday.
We want to make it easier for people to find and enjoy exceptional coffee and chocolate, while supporting the talented artisans who create them. Our mission is built on three core principles:
- Quality: We are committed to featuring only high-quality products made with care and attention to detail.
- Community: ChocoKafé is a place where makers and consumers can connect, share, and discover together.
- Transparency: We believe in honest sourcing and clear communication, so you always know what you’re buying and why it matters.
Meet The Founders
Miranda: Chocolate Enthusiast
In constant pursuit of learning, sharing, and developing a deeper appreciation for all things chocolate.
Growing up working in my family's convenience store, I tried every chocolate bar we sold. These bars were mass produced and certainly NOT fine chocolate, however it was something my family and I often sat down and enjoyed together at the end of the day.
My first foray into fine chocolate started in 2014/2015. I had the privilege of meeting a couple local chocolatiers who introduced me to bean to bar chocolate. They were so passionate about crafting chocolate and walked me through different cacao regions around the world as well as the process to create chocolate from cacao. For the first time ever, I could taste the complexity of flavors far beyond my imagination. To think chocolate on its own could have such flavor that tells the story of its origins and reflects the passion of its makers, was breathtaking and wondrous. This was the start of my chocolate journey.
Over the years, I started to explore other bean-to-bar makers leading me to look for bean to bar chocolate everywhere I went. My travel itinerary always has dedicated time for chocolate.
In 2024, wanting to seriously learn more about chocolate origins, flavors, and the science behind chocolate, I completed my Level 1 certifications in chocolate tasting with the IICCT, and currently pursuing Level 2.
Lance: Coffee Cognizant
Food and drink has traditionally been a navigation of nourishment rather than passion. Utilitarian diets for sports made it extremely efficient to only have what was needed for performing. In adulthood, managing the growth of independence, the stresses of comparison, and just honestly a lack of sleep, is when I found myself reaching more for coffee to perk up the day. Initially it was for the caffeine but transitioned quickly into the enjoyment of sipping something warm, dark, and brooding. It was the time of fast food, quick coffee, and tremendous pace to “succeed”.
By the time I had a few years in the corporate working world, it would be hard-pressed to say my partner and I met through coffee, but it is interesting to see how many times our relationship revolved around the earthy beverage. As we grew together, so did my initially simple palette. It came from the way she appreciates flavors, savors food, and enjoys the process. Some of her appreciation has rubbed off on me as I admire how she picks out both prominent and subtle flavors: It has taken me from “This tastes great” to “I like the texture contrast...” or “I do get a subtle hint of yuzu”.
Extending this to coffee, we enjoyed initially Nespresso together; their pods at the time being my initial encounter with different flavors and origins. The raw ingredients matter. We would gravitate to certain things over others, finding preference in fruity and acidity over time instead of traditional woody, cereal, and chocolate notes conventional in darker roasts.
Our Coffee Journey
Coffee is now a transformational and regenerative component to my daily routine. The world of coffee can go in so many directions, and to simplify our origins we are focusing mainly on filter. By the time Covid hit, many had partaken to see where their curiosities would lead; coffee for me continued to evolve. Because we were not going out any longer to coffee shops, we bought a Chemex and a Hario Skerton as our first pour over setup. With only the faintest idea of what to do and where to go, we had embarked on our first filter, and irrespective of what we had, what was amazing came from the beans themselves.
Specialty roasters honing in on a craft to bring out aromatics, flavors, and a combination of acidity and richness from one simple bean are incredible when realizing we are combining a scientific method to something organic and natural: It is the juxtaposition of art and science, of whimsicality and nuance, of chaos and collaboration.
The Name: ChocoKafé
Stories enrich our lives. Woven together from different chapters, ChocoKafé is a collective that manifests from transformative experiences.
"Choco" from chocolate, seems simple, but it is deeply rooted in it being the catalyst for where this all started for us. It also is not specific to any type because we root our perspective on appreciative inquiry, and had our passion ignited through the warmth and generosity of a local chocolatier couple. We had chanced upon this small shop when originally looking for a chocolate cake, but were met with a bean-to-bar husband and wife couple that happened to be 1 of the top 25 chocolatiers in the world. They provided samples to try single-origin chocolate bars that include Ecuador, Tanzania, and Madagascar, and each were so unique, the world of true craft chocolate started to open.
"Kafé" has sub-parts derived from a story. Directly, it comes from the Japanese word for coffee, "コーヒー" (pronounced Kōhī), and more specifically, the first character. We then combined it with the Portuguese way of saying coffee, "café". It even looks like a backwards "C". Feel free to pronounce it the best way it resonates for you! A change in our relationship with coffee occurred when we had taken a trip to Japan and chanced on a coffee roaster in the city of Osaka. It was a bag of coffee beans originating from Brazil, titled "Vinho", or wine. The first taste was a sensory experience like no other before, with the flavors of the coffee so deceptive, it could have been taken for the rich full-bodied red of wine country.
Transparency - Use of AI Images: Our AI image usage is restricted to the purpose of storytelling, supplementing our words in imaginative ways.