French Broad Chocolate Lounge

About the Business

Specialties

French Broad Chocolate Lounge specializes in craft chocolate confections and handmade pastry desserts. Chocolate Lounge offers a wide variety of bonbons, chocolate bars, caramels, cakes, brownies, coffee, wines, and teas.

History

Established in 2006.

Guided by their mission to source with integrity and craft with love, French Broad Chocolate builds direct relationships with sustainable farmers and producers and transforms fine cacao beans into craft chocolate in their Chocolate Factory in Asheville, NC. Bean-to-bar to bonbon and beyond means they create not only their artisan chocolate bars, but also a compendium of confections and treats featuring their chocolate paired with local, fresh and organic ingredients. French Broad Chocolate is a Certified B Corp, a certification demonstrating their commitment to being people who use business as a force for good. Co-founders Jael Skeffington and Dan Rattigan's passion for chocolate was born in 2003, when they drove a veggie oil-powered school bus to the cacao-rich tropics of Costa Rica and opened a restaurant called Bread & Chocolate. Inspired to continue their path in chocolate, they moved to Asheville and founded French Broad Chocolate in 2006.

Meet the Business Owner

Business owner information

Jael S. and Dan R. S.

Business Owner

Fifteen years ago, Dan Rattigan and Jael Skeffington dropped out of grad school and bought an abandoned cacao plantation in Costa Rica. After opening a cafe (which is still going strong), they gave in to the lure of Asheville, set up a new home base, and opened French Broad Chocolates. The tiny chocolate empire, which includes a lounge, boutique, and chocolate factory, imports cacao from small farms and refines it into bonbons, chocolate bars, brownies, and more. Local ingredients like fresh berries, lavender, and wildflower honey take center stage in several creations.