Monday, August 3, 2026

Question: How did Domingo Ghirardelli’s famous San Francisco chocolate empire get its start?

Answer: The California Gold Rush. In January 1848, Ghirardelli’s former neighbor from Lima, James Lick, arrived in San Francisco carrying 600 pounds of Ghirardelli chocolate. Inspired by Lick’s stories of the gold strike, Ghirardelli came to San Francisco in 1849, opened a general store, and eventually built the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.