Small Business Spotlight: ChocolaChi
Chocolate Wedding Favors
Photo Credit: ChocolaChi
In the heart of Plymouth, one small chocolate business is turning handcrafted sweets into something truly special. ChocolaChi is more than just beautiful bonbons, it’s a story of creativity, passion, and giving back. What began during the uncertainty of the pandemic as a way to help animal rescues has grown into a one-person chocolate studio where every piece is thoughtfully designed, carefully crafted, and filled with flavor.
From vibrant, hand-painted chocolates to inventive flavors like key lime pie and salted caramel, ChocolaChi blends artistry with confectionery skill to create a treat that’s as delightful to look at as it is to eat. We recently had the chance to speak with the founder behind ChocolaChi to learn more about the inspiration, process, and heart behind this unique local business. Today we’re interviewing Nadja Andrade.
Life in Mass (LIM): For readers who may be discovering you for the first time, can you share the story behind ChocolaChi and how it all began?
ChocolaChi (CC): ChocolaChi began during COVID, it started off as a baked goods idea. I love animals and during COVID I was seeing how animal rescues and shelters were struggling to keep the lights on, and given it was such a harsh time for everyone donations were really really low. I decided to start making baked goods, sell everything and donate all the money. On February, my now husband, said I should make some truffles since chocolate would be perfect for Valentines. So I bought some simple molds, and made my first batch of bonbons (at the time I thought they were called truffles). It was surprising a big success and people started asking for more. I started creating new flavors and by pure coincidence my manager at the time sent me a beautiful box of chocolates that were colored and designed. Each piece had a description and that’s how I learned about colored cocoa butter. I bought a book to learn more, and that was the beginning of ChocolaChi. A colleague recommended me to sell at Beacon Hill Chocolates, which allowed me to make larger batches and learn more. We still donate part of the profit and donate for fundraisers partnering with some organizations.
LIM: The name “ChocolaChi” is so unique! What inspired it, and what does it represent to you?
CC: ChocolaChi is a play on sound and meaning. I am originally from Brazil where we pronounce chocolate as chocolachi. When spoken it sounds like chocolate in my native Portuguese. The reason Chi is capitalized is because Chi of the Chinese meaning of the word. In Chinese philosophy and martial arts “Chi” is the vital life force energy that sustains all living beings, and I really like having that meaning on the name of the business bringing life and vitality to what we do.
Luxury Chocolates
Photo Credit: ChocolaChi
LIM: What made you decide to open your business in the Plymouth area and how has the community shaped your journey?
CC: Plymouth was by chance, one that we really love. We wanted to buy a home and fell in love with the town and the house. We absolutely love Plymouth, the people here are kind and friendly. We have received so much great support for our business and love seeing returning customers.
LIM: How would you describe the ChocolaChi experience?
CC: A friend once described it as “where art meets chocolate” and really called it an “experience”. I make small batches, as a one-person business it is hard to make really large batches. Each batch takes 3-4 days of work, and every bonbon is individually painted, the flavors are carefully curated and balanced to really give everyone who tries a piece a rush of excitement. The ChocolaChi experience starts with visual, my goal is to have beautiful special pieces/designs, then the flavor. I aim for natural ingredients and really high quality, so that every bite there will be a burst of flavor, balances with creaminess, not to hard, not too soft.
LIM: What are some of your most popular offerings?
CC: Boxes of 4 and during Christmas the box of 8 were the most popular gifts. Recently I had the key lime pie bonbon that was a major hit.
LIM: Do you have a personal favorite item? What makes it special to you?
CC: My favorite flavor is the key lime pie; I like the sharpness of the lime and how it balances well with a special white chocolate that is not too sweet. The added graham cracker layer ties it all up. It’s like eating a key lime pie but in a bite size. My second favorite is the salted caramel, I make the caramel from scratch, and I really like a smooth creamy texture for the bonbon.
LIM: What goes into sourcing your ingredients, and why is quality so important to you?
CC: Quality is everything, it enhances the flavors, it increases shelf-life, and it really elevates the product. I am self-taught “chocolatier” and learning how to source the ingredients was critical, it took me 5 years to really nail the key suppliers, and I have different suppliers for different ingredients because of the quality that they have. I truly aim to sell a product that is special in every way, and having high quality ingredients the base for my goal.
Luxury Chocolate
Photo Credit: ChocolaChi
LIM: Chocolate feels like such a joyful, celebratory treat. What role do you hope ChocolaChi plays in your customers’ everyday lives and special occasions?
CC: You know when you are a kid and you get that special gift, or you get to see that special someone like a favorite, aunt, grandfather, etc? And that moment brings a little spark in your eyes because your heart is just filled with a mixture of excitement, joy and pure happiness? That is the role I hope ChocolaChi plays in peoples lives and their special occasions. When I make chocolates for a special event, let’s say a wedding I pour my heart and soul to making them what the bride and groom would love. I want them to get their order and feel that pure happiness and a sense of being special. Because while I made that batch, it was fully and completely dedicated to making them happy. The same goes to every piece, be it a Holiday box, mother’s day, Halloween, every piece has so much thought, love and care put into them, that I want them to feel exactly that once they open the box and take a bite.
LIM: Have there been any memorable moments or customer stories that really stand out to you?
CC: Yes, there are so many, the majority are seeing customers understand what I am really selling. When we go to markets people look at our case and think we are selling shiny rocks or marbles and they get excited but worried that those are chocolates. I understand, many times you see a sweet look gorgeous and then the flavor is very disappointing. This is why I think it is even more important to have a great flavor. Seeing customers just try it for the first time it is one of my favorite parts.
Last Christmas I had one customer story that really made my season. We had several markets during the season and this customer attending each and every event. She was so happy with the chocolates that it filled me with such happiness and energy to make more and keep pushing. I will say, end of the year is really demanding, I make thousands of bonbons and have to package all, it is the most stressful time of the year but with customers like these it really makes the exhaustion and dedication worth it.
LIM: What’s been the biggest challenge of owning a small business, and what has been the most rewarding part?
Chocolate Wedding Favors
Photo Credit: ChocolaChi
CC: The biggest challenge is just learning. It started off as a project to help animals in need, and it became a business. Learning how to make chocolate, experimenting, testing, making tons of mistakes then finding where to buy all the ingredients, some harder to source than others, finding packaging companies. When I started, I thought it was just make and sell, then as it grew you see how complex having a small business is, you need to figure the logistics, the sourcing of now just ingredients but: boxes, labels, candy pads, ribbons, menus, etc. You need to figure out the best way to ship to other cities, how to showcase them at events, do the right marketing, take photos like a professional, (kinda laughing internally) learning all of this has been the most challenging part. Learning how to make chocolate from a book and then through trial and error has also been quite challenging.
The most rewarding is to see how much it grew, to have amazing customers return and happy to see you at a market or customers that come to the market just because ChocolaChi is there.
LIM: How do you continue to innovate or introduce new flavors and creations? It must be a ton of work.
It is a ton of work, but the creative side is the one I enjoy the most. I try playing with flavors customers ask me to make, that is one way to get new flavors. I also have a list of great chocolatiers and follow them, speak to them about trends and flavor balance. Being from Brazil I try to incorporate some of our culture and flavors into my pieces.
For innovative designs, I love new techniques, I am always looking out for new ideas and new applications. I spend days, sometimes weeks, thinking about a theme imagining designs, color pallets etc.
LIM: What does a typical day look like behind the scenes at ChocolaChi?
Custom Chocolate Creation
Photo Credit: ChocolaChi
CC: ChocolaChi doesn’t pay the bills, at least not yet. I have a full-time job to pay the bills. During high seasons I wake up early to start my work (around 5 am every day, including weekends), after work I then focus on the chocolates. I tend to do all the administrative (inventory, purchases, planning, event coordination, taxes, etc) part during the week, and the confectionary part from Thursday through Sunday. The molds need to be cleaned and polished, then each cavity is painted, either with brush, spray, or stenciled. When using several colors each layer needs to be perfectly set before you can move to the next color. The painting process can take several hours; there have been days where I worked on the painting for 10+ hours. Once the molds are painted, they need to set for several hours, I like leaving them overnight. The following day is what I call shelling and ganache making, which usually take the full day (5 am until around 10 pm). I shell all the molds (put a thin layer of chocolate in each cavity) and let it crystalize. The ganache is the filling; some bonbons have 2 or even 3 layers. These are then piped into each cavity and let to rest for at least 12 hours. The last day is capping (closing of the bonbons) and unmolding. Once all the bonbons are out of the mold it is time to start packaging them. Sounds crazy but packaging is also extremely time consuming. The bonbons are then boxed, labeled and either shipped or taken to events where customers can build their own box.
LIM: Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for the future of ChocolaChi?
There is still so much I need to learn with chocolate, and I think that is the most exciting. Chocolate is hard, it is a very hard and picky medium to work with, but I would love to learn more. One day I’ll have my own bean-to-bar chocolate, adding an even more special layer to the chocolate we offer.
I would love ChocolaChi to be known for customizing chocolates for events. I am working on new projects and some plans to really try to have more custom events.
A big thank you to the founder of ChocolaChi for taking the time to share the story behind the business and the passion that goes into every batch of chocolates. It’s inspiring to see how creativity, dedication, and a love for community can turn a simple idea into something truly meaningful. If you come across ChocolaChi at a local market or event, be sure to stop by, admire the artistry, and treat yourself to a piece (or two!) of these handcrafted chocolates—you might just discover your new favorite sweet.
Find ChocolaChi
Website · Instagram
(786) 719-4085
chocolachi.2021@gmail.com