(Note: Audio recorded January 19, 2022)
When you enter a new industry you quickly find at least some of the individuals that are responsible for laying the groundwork before you, or maybe you are drawn to them, or even in some cases they are impossible to miss. They may be prominently seen on conference panels, active on social media platforms, well known within their local or afar community, have written commonly referenced blogs and books, or sit on the boards of notable organizations. Lauren Adler is all or has done all of those things—except the book, which could easily be forthcoming. She assured me in this interview she is a strategic thinker with a lot of ideas. Chocolopolis, the curated chocolate retail and experience store she founded in the Queen Anne’s neighborhood of Seattle, Washington in July of 2008 (just up the hill from the renowned Space Needle), has been a reference point for ideas and concepts that opened and continue to open after it—while maintaining a relatable and available image. At the beginning, Adler was partnering with Latin American and European stalwart brands and New American craft chocolate makers such as: El Rey, Domori, Valrhona, Askinosie, Amano, Patric, Taza, Rogue and Steve DeVries. By 2014, their location carried nearly 200 bars from 25 countries. She’s pivoted, revolved and evolved her business over the last 13 years many times over, and yet like many in the last two years since the beginning of the pandemic, her business has taken a more recent turn, now focusing on online-based chocolate tastings and education.
The chocolate industry is a sweet but finicky one. It can test you. There is the dichotomy of being a part of, and growing/making/selling within, one of the most loved and common foodstuffs’ categories, whilst willingly existing in unchartered, muddy waters. You have to leap from the 10 meter platform, and if you do, you’re diving into a pool of opaque viscous sludge—edible sludge, be that as it may. Unsurprisingly, it can be simpler to climb back down the stairs. But Lauren’s still here. In fact, she’s heading back up the ladder again.
For the last almost ten years, I’ve referenced “my list” from time to time. It’s tucked into the back of one of my treasured notebooks, and every now and again I have the fortune to cross a name off that list because I garnered up the courage to ask if “I could pick their brain.” That’s somewhat of a professional no-no these days, but I maintain this list of folks that I'd like to one day interview because, I realize that where I stand now, they have very likely been before. People often call this acumen and these lived experiences—wisdom. And while there is much to be learned from personal exploration, trial and error, and professional courses, one still yearns for passed down wisdom. This is the sort of “chocolate lore” that seldom requires a classroom, certificate, or online forum attached to it. It can take place in organized settings, but it’s more often spontaneous—the ”I’ve been meaning to ask you!” questions you hold within your head or jot down on old bar wrappers. The responses come from the day-in and day-out of being amongst the cacao groves, of consistently calibrating your palate, and explaining for the 1000th time what single origin means…to you, your venture, and/or your selected examples (because it doesn’t have an official meaning, unfortunately). That’s the crux of being at the forefront of a movement—that in a way, the responsibility of how it unfolds, what habits become routine, what and who get chosen, can fall on you. Some take up the role gleefully, some quietly make progress and/or product from behind the scenes, and others create really big impacts, then retreat from the sector completely. I wonder which will be my fate. Still, regardless of varying degrees of loudness or openness, or fame—all have played a role. On a whole, particularly as a young industry, we still have much work to do, and Lauren (Adler, I must avoid sounding like I’m speaking about myself in 3rd person) has stayed the course for quite some time now. Like memorable cacaos and chocolates, she’s not just about the flavors or seeking quick gratification, she’s on a mission to ensure there’s a long finish, a lingering pleasantness and a distinctive, significant impact. The constant in Lauren’s story, and that of other community members, seems to be, as long as it’s good (and does good), together we’ll figure out the rest.
Topics discussed in this episode:
+ Launch of the physical Chocolopolis store in 2008 and shifts over the years
+ The influence of Starbucks teaching consumers about coffee and the missing cultural piece for chocolate consumers in the United States
+ The pros and cons of having a large library concept
+ Adding a buffer for financial risk and the high capital expenditure required to build a brand
+ The importance of getting on the same page as your vendors and suppliers; “discipline comes with consistency of product”
+ For small businesses, taking into consideration volume and shipping costs
+ Industry dilemmas of supply and demand (and for the Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) how to increase demand to support members)
+ Her efforts with the Pacific Northwest PNW Chocolate Society along with Barbie Van Horn
+ Removing origin biases from tasting panels
Tips for running a brick and mortar (chocolate) business from Lauren, Chief Chocophile at Chocolopolis
TEST your market
MEET customers where they are
COLLABORATE locally
STAY TRUE to who you are
LESS IS MORE, don’t try to do too much
+ don’t persuade your demographic to like what you’re selling, go to a place where they already know/enjoy it (e.g. dark chocolate lovers)
+ seek a short(er) lease (2-3 years with option to renew!)
+ find a landlord that supports you/community/artists
+ look for areas with high populations of foodies, but also ensure DENSITY
+ build a genuine community of customers
+ create an inviting 3rd place
+ work with architects and plumbers with an understanding of food businesses
More from Lauren Adler of Chocolopolis and a lightening round of Q&A
Twitter @ChiefChocophile
Instagram @ChiefChocophile
1) What are the main pillars of the consumer education program you envision for rollout at FCIA (or elsewhere)? What primary characteristics and fundamental principles would you name and/or suggest for greater consumer adoption of craft chocolate?
I would say it’s not my role, either as President of the Board of FCIA or as an educator myself, to answer this question. I have a style that works for me as does every chocolate educator out there. If you’re able to captivate and reach more consumers and help them understand why fine/craft chocolate costs so much more, that’s what matters. Educating them to expect more from their chocolate and to expect to pay more is the goal. Every educator will have their own approach to reaching this goal.
At the end of the day the FCIA is a member-driven non-profit trade association, so it’s up to members to decide how we as an organization support each other in furthering education. I see the question facing all of us in craft/artisan chocolate (both chocolate makers and chocolatiers) as “How do we increase consumer demand for fine chocolate?” If we just keep speaking to the same, small audience we’ll never increase demand. It’s imperative that we reach a much wider audience and convince them that it’s worth paying more for quality chocolate for many reasons. If we want our work to have impact, to address the economic, social and environmental issues at any kind of scale, we need to reach significantly more people. But it’s not just about education. Chocolate companies need to figure out how to meet consumers where they are and then bring them along to where we want them to be. That means developing approachable products that may be similar to what they’re used to but made with quality cacao. It also means creating approachable experiences that don’t seem snobby. Once you get consumers hooked, captivate them with the stories of the makers, the cacao farmers and the cacao. Help them understand why this chocolate costs so much more. I see many craft & fine chocolate companies creating more approachable products these days and that’s great.
How does FCIA fit into this? In a number of ways. As I said earlier, it can support members in furthering consumer education. You may be familiar with FCIA’s sister website, Make Mine Fine, which highlights member companies that sell to consumers. This website serves as a hub so more consumers can find their way to fine chocolate. Our new Executive Director, Ephi Maglaris, and our new Marketing Manager, Melissa Martin, bring great experience in food events and marketing to the table. I’m really excited by the opportunities Ephi is pursuing to ensure our members get out into the broader food community and share the message of fine chocolate with an adjacent audience, one that already appreciates fine food and wine. Our value chain committee, led by Kate Cavalin of Cacao Latitudes, is creating a common language for FCIA members to use when talking to the public to help differentiate fine cacao from bulk cocoa. Having a shared lexicon that the public hears again and again is critical to getting traction with consumers. If you want to develop more approachable products but you’re not sure where to start, the FCIA has conducted two consumer surveys in conjunction with the NCA. These surveys offer excellent information on what consumers are looking for in their chocolate.
2) What does the new generation entering the space need to learn from industry veterans? Conversely, what do you think veterans can learn from them?
In some ways it’s easier to be a new chocolate maker. You’re building on the successes and failures of your predecessors. You’re not starting from scratch – you have an entire community with many examples to draw on. Whether it’s technique, product line, business mix (retail, wholesale, store/no store), you can look to the examples that exist and figure out what combination you think will make the best business model for you and your market. What can veterans learn from new chocolate makers? New makers bring a fresh approach with new ideas. As a veteran it’s easy to get stuck in your ways and continue down the same paths. The boom in fine chocolate means there are many interesting artisans out there trying new things. Their energy and fresh approach may inspire a veteran to try something new.
You have just completed a wknd’s newsletter and listened to an episode of Conversations in Cocoa. If you enjoyed this, please consider becoming a yearly subscriber and sharing it with others — word of mouth and member-support is of the greatest help to solo-entrepreneurs and niche content categories. I also accept chocolate donations :) Connect with Lauren on Twitter @wkndchocolate and Instagram @laurenonthewknd. Photo credit to Lauren Adler, Chocolopolis.
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