French Broad Chocolate began with Dan Rattigan and Jael Skeffington’s adventurous journey from the Midwest to Costa Rica, where they bought an abandoned cacao farm and opened a café called Bread & Chocolate. Their passion for cacao ultimately brought them to Asheville, North Carolina, where they started crafting chocolates in their home kitchen, selling them online and at local markets. In 2008, they opened the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, a beloved destination for chocolate lovers, and in 2012, their dream of becoming bean-to-bar chocolate makers came to life with the French Broad Chocolate Factory. Today, their expanded factory produces nearly 50 tons of chocolate annually, sourcing cacao directly from trusted farmers to create confections that celebrate quality, integrity, and flavor.