Earlier this summer, we found our new home in LA - the Chocolate Dispensary. Liang talked with their co-owner Kala, and got really inspired by her passion for fine chocolate. This August, when we are in LA for the coffee fest, we got to visit Kayla’s beautiful shop in LA and got to know her and her chocolate selection in person!
1. How do you define The Chocolate Dispensary?
The Chocolate Dispensary & Tasting Room is Southern California's destination for sustainably sourced craft chocolate. We are a retail store now but in just a few, short months, we will also have our chocolate cafe, where you'll be able to order a flight of chocolate (imagine a flight of wine - well, ours are chocolate!), or a cup of drinking chocolate or pour-over coffee. We're also super excited to be offering decaf! We aim to create a space that's full of warmth and fun and fosters the joyful exploration of the wide and wonderful world of craft chocolate.
2. What is your primary motivation?
Joy, first and foremost! Secondarily, we hope to show people that their buying decisions can have real impact on the future of cacao, on the environment, and on the lives of communities near and far. Of course, we're lucky that we stumbled upon an untapped part of the market here in LA so from a business perspective, we also feel really lucky and motivated to grow our business and concept in the city and perhape, over time, in other cities as well.
3. What’s your product selection process like?
There's no one answer to this question, for sure! In the beginning, I started with the makers I knew from my previous business, Five Senses Tastings, and then from there, it was a lot of research, talking to people in the business, Google searches based on certain places or criteria I wanted to focus on, articles and blogs from reputable sources, Instagram, and word of mouth. First, I try to ascertain if the maker is using sustainably sourced cacao. If it's right there on their website, then I email and ask for a call. If it's not, I email and ask them to reveal their sources. If they will not, then the process stops there. If they are willing to get on a call, we do that (I prefer Zoom so we can be face-to-face), and then we're usually offered samples. It's funny to think that eating chocolate is a job but it really is! I am quickly learning what our customers want, and so I'm really looking to see if the product, maker, ingredients, and story fill a void or add to a popular category. If we feel that the chocolate is a) excellent, b) fills a hole or adds to a popular genre in our store, and c) is within our budget for wholesale + shipping, then we will place an order.
4. What are the fun facts you’d love people learn about your shop?
From concept to the day we got the keys was just under 9 months. Guess it was really like birthing a baby! Dale comes at this from his background of being a TV and film producer as well as a network executive. His "get shit done" attitude (don't know if you can say that in your blog) is why we are as far along in the build-out as we are. We are the first tenants in this space. It's a new building but we want to fit into the historic feel of the block so we are using vintage pieces and second-hand furniture to create an eclectic, cozy look. I come at this business having been in the tasting and events world for over a decade. While a lot of what I'm doing feels familiar, the retail world is an entirely different beast than a service-based business. In many ways, it's an easier "sell" than a service-based business. As for other fun facts, well, our name! We wanted to have some fun with that! We know that it can be confusing at first but if you think about the word "Cannabis Dispensary," which word actually means marijuana? It's not "dispensary!" Pot doesn't "own" that word so we're taking it back and making it ours - haah! Chocolate is a huge part of Dale's and my love story, too. During our early courting days, I had some chocolate left over from an event I had led, and we tasted through that with some cheese, wine, and bourbon. His mind was blown, and our chocolate journey kept going from there. We love to take some quiet time on a Friday night and pull out a variety of different samples we've received, spend time with them, and it always creates real intimacy and fun between us.
5. How did you discover KESSHŌ, and what is your favorite KESSHŌ chocolate?
I'm actually not 100% sure how I found out but you but I know it was early on. I was taken by your story, the interesting flavors, and the inspiration and hard work I can see everyday in your business. My favorite is the Boba Tea, followed by the Black Sesame and the Mulled Wine.
If you're in LA, go visit The Chocolate Dispensary! You can find them at:
1605 Grafton Street, Los Angeles, California