Bean to Bar

Learn how we've navigated chocolate storage over the last 10 years. There's more to it than you might think...

Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

A Bean-to-Bar Podcast exclusive! During a visit to San Francisco  Dylan sat down with Karen Cogan, Flavor Manager at Dandelion Chocolate to learn about their scientific approach to flavor analysis.  

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

There are two main factors to consider when deciding on a location for your factory; urban or rural? Whether you’re in a busy city or in the middle of farm land each location comes with pros and cons. At the end of the day it’s the type of business you want to run that will dictate where to go. Do you want to focus on retailing or wholesaling? Dylan covers what has worked for Manoa Chocolate over the years, as well as highlighting other chocolate companies’ approach to choosing a location. 

Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here. 

We recommend consuming this episode in video form, as it will be easier to follow along through visuals. We have our 3 Year Projections Document that you can download through the description in the video description on our youtube channel. This way you can have the numbers in front of you as Dylan covers each line item on the document. With that said if you prefer the audio form you will still benefit from listening.

Today we have for you the most in-depth Business of Chocolate episode to date. We did this “3 Year Projections” episode back in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. It was a precarious time and we were analyzing the numbers of our business more closely than we ever had before. In the beginning of Manoa Chocolate this is not something we always did, and so we suffered more than we had to.  Analyzing the numbers of your business and setting target numbers years in advance adds a necessary clarity on where to improve. This way you can avoid surprise expenses that could be detrimental to continued growth year after year.

Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.
•Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
•Learn more about us and try our chocolate here

The beginnings of Manoa Chocolate were rough. 14 hour days, running out of money, endless equipment issues, crazy inefficiencies, and more. We learned as we went, and year after year we managed to survive, grow, and eventually thrive. Now, over a decade in, we're able to look back at those first years and know what we should have done differently. In this episode Dylan lays out a formula for success that we believe should be followed for a craft chocolate endeavor. We hope you learn from our mistakes and grow a chocolate company with less stress and more fun! You can watch the video version of this podcast here!

Thank you to Will Lydgate, Cacao Farmer at Lydgate Farms Kauai for writing and composing our new theme song!

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

It's been a long time coming and we're very excited to finally have in our possession our first ever batch of Mānoa Cacao Wine. In this episode Dylan explains the story and process behind this new product made from the juice of cacao fruit.
Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In this episode we go deep into the nuanced world of tempering. Dylan and co-host Greg D'Alesandre (@gdalesandre) share their experiences and knowledge into what is likely the most challenging step in the entire bean-to-bar process. Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Today we have special guest Chuck Kerchner of Zorzal Cacao. His cacao farm is unique from the rest as it funds nature conservation through the sale of fine cacao.

Chuck, [co-host] Greg D'Alesandre, and Dylan have a wide ranging conversation on all things cacao and chocolate. Highlights include: scaling cacao agroforestry through nature conservation, the future of fine cacao, healthy chocolate business models, direct trade relationships, the Hawaiian cacao industry, cacao bi-products, Dominican Republic cacao, and more! Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.

• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

Take a deep dive into the world of chocolate bar molds. Dylan covers companies we've worked with, pricing, design advice, and mistakes we've had to learn the hard way! Watch the video version of this podcast here.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.

In today's episode we are joined once again by co-owner of Dandelion Chocolate, Greg D'Alesandre (@gdalesadre on instagram) to discuss the sugar we use, and don't use in our chocolate. Watch the video version of this podcast on Craft Chocolate TV.
• Follow us for more chocolate content @manoachocolate
• Learn more about us and try our chocolate here.