Chocolatier
About the job
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Previous retail experience is desirable.
- Basic math computation skills are required.
- Strong oral and written communication skills are required.
- Ability to work with little or no supervision is required.
- Ability to work with a diverse work team and meet adversity with professionalism is required.
- Ability to manage time effectively is required.
- Ability to maintain a pleasant demeanor and provide superior guest service is required.
- Ability to operate a dishwashing machine is required.
- Must be able to work all shifts, including nights and weekends.
- Perform restaurant and retail duties, including merchandising, stocking, and providing guest service while selling the premium chocolate line.
- Provide exceptional guest service.
- Handle cash and process credit card transactions according to company procedures and best practices.
- Assemble proprietary retail items according to recipe guidelines.
- Maintain adequate retail product supplies on the sales floor and in back stock.
- Ensure products are appropriately priced and signed according to company guidelines.
- Maintain the cleanliness, arrangement, and display standards of the sales floor and products.
- Maintain detailed knowledge of products, pricing, and company history.
- Use product and pricing knowledge to answer guest inquiries and create upsell opportunities.
- Gift-wrap items for sale as needed according to company guidelines and standards.
- Follow food safety guidelines and keep tabletops, serveware, floors, and trash receptacles clean and sanitary.
- Keep fountain and condiment supplies stocked and in good condition on the sales floor and behind the fountain area.
- Maintain a clean and orderly stockroom.
- Clean windows and mirrors when smudged, soiled, or directed by a supervisor or manager.
- Keep guest and employee washing facilities in good working order and clean and sanitary.
- Set up, maintain, and break down the fountain area.
- Replenish toppings and fountain items throughout the day as needed while minimizing or eliminating food waste.
- Maintain the proper level of all required ice cream flavors.
- Keep knowledge of fountain products and their preparation current.
- Work as a topper or scooper as needed.
- Perform semi-table service to support guest satisfaction.
- Maintain candy-making equipment and supplies in good working order and know all recipes.
- Work shifts that may begin up to two hours before store opening or end up to two hours after closing for preparation or cleaning.
- A high school diploma is preferred.
About the company
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company makes gourmet chocolates and premium baking ingredients for both home customers and food service professionals. Its products include chocolate squares and bars, baking ingredients, and hot cocoa. The company sells directly to shoppers online and through its own stores, and it also sells professional-grade ingredients to chefs, baristas, and other businesses. How its products work is simple: high-quality chocolate and ingredients are produced, packaged, and sold through multiple channels so customers can use them for eating, baking, and drink making. Ghirardelli differentiates itself from competitors by its long history (established in 1852), well-known premium brand, and its mix of consumer retail and professional B2B offerings. The goal is to provide premium chocolate and ingredients to both everyday customers and food-service partners while growing its direct-to-consumer presence and professional-use sales.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
San Leandro, California
Founded
N/A
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- September 1, 2026 Jack O'Lantern chocolates broaden seasonal retail momentum nationwide.
- June 2026 Disney Springs refurbishment and temporary relocation preserve a high-volume tourist funnel through spring 2027.
- June 2026 refrigerated cookie dough and July 2026 milk bars expand Ghirardelli beyond boxed chocolates.
What critics are saying
- The April 27, 2026 Salmonella recall hit food-service mixes and exposed supplier-control weakness.
- Unite Here Local 2 struck San Francisco's flagship on July 30, 2026 over healthcare.
- If labor fights spread to other tourist stores, Ghirardelli Square traffic and brand trust erode fast.
What makes Ghirardelli Chocolate Company unique
- Ghirardelli controls bean-to-bar manufacturing, from cocoa sourcing to finished product, unlike commodity rivals.
- Its 2026 store network spans Disney Springs, Empire State Building, and Ghirardelli Square.
- The July 9, 2026 Premium Milk Chocolate Bars refresh shelf presence without abandoning legacy brands.
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Benefits
Paid Vacation
Flexible Work Hours
Paid Holidays
Performance Bonus
Employee Discounts
Meal Benefits
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 8%1 year growth
↑ 8%2 year growth
↑ 8%Mochas around the world: how cafes are fusing global ingredients into the classic drink. Published on September 29, 2026 This story was researched and written by Fresh Cup in partnership with its sponsor, Ghirardelli. "I wanted my family to be part of it," Oscar Pineda says about his journey opening Adelitas Coffee Company, "and my wife and daughters came along." The Wichita, Kansas cafe and roastery takes its name from the adelitas, the women who fought alongside soldiers during the Mexican Revolution and are enduring symbols of bravery. "We all bring something to the table," Pineda says, "and we're carrying the dream together." Although Adelitas roasts coffees from around the world, Pineda has shaped its coffee program and menu to prominently featureMexican ingredients and pairings. His Mexican mocha uses cinnamon and cloves and is a nod to Carlos V, the Mexican chocolate bar he grew up eating. "A lot of our menu is nostalgic," he says. "Things I really enjoyed growing up as a kid. I wanted to build that into our menu." From gochugaru-spiked mocha to maple chocolate lattes, cafe menus highlighting the personal and cultural identities of the people behind the counter are showing up everywhere. Datassential, a foodservice research firm, reports that nine in ten U.S. restaurants feature globally inspired items on their menus. The company also says the word "fusion" is up 49% on restaurant menus over the past four years. The social listening and flavor trend platform Tastewise identifies "bold-but-grounded" recipes as a key way to create menu items in 2026 as consumers look for innovative takes on familiar items they already love. Ghirardelli's product development team is tracking this shift toward more globally inspired pairings. "Coffee and chocolate are no longer being treated as a single flavor profile," says Dave Dulyx, vice president of professional products at Ghirardelli. "Operators are exploring how chocolate interacts with texture, spice, fruit, nuts, and regional ingredients, which creates much more differentiation on menus." Making chocolate feel like home. Adelitas' menu has the fingerprints of Mexican cuisine all over it, with regional flavors like horchata and Mazapán. Then there's the Dulce Fuego, a mocha that features chocolate and habanero, softened with dark cherry syrup. "In Mexico we eat hot sauce with almost everything," Pineda says. "So I thought creating a drink with habanero, getting a spicy kick with chocolate, would be a good drink for people who like spicy food." The Dulce Fuego started as a seasonal drink, but its popularity kept it on the shop's hidden menu, and it will soon earn a regular spot on the Adelitas menu. In Canada, the Nanaimo bar is the classic callback to chocolate nostalgia. This famous Canadian no-bake dessert has three layers: crumb (often crushed graham crackers and coconut shavings), vanilla custard, and smooth chocolate. Some coffee shops draw on this classic recipe with a Nanaimo bar latte, often created using coconut milk, espresso, and chocolate. Maple is another quintessential Canadian flavor that Dulyx calls "a strong Canadian cue that pairs exceptionally well with mocha." In Riverview, New Brunswick, Buddha Bear serves a maple mocha latte they call the lumberjack mocha: a latte with mocha and maple syrups, plus marshmallows and a chocolate drizzle. The Philippines also has a flavor tradition that lends itself particularly well to coffee pairings: tsokolate. The drink is made by dissolving tablets of ground cacao beans into a thick, rich beverage. Unsurprisingly, many coffee shops in the country have taken to blending coffee or espresso into a drink called tsoko-barako. This is one of the strongest connections between coffee and chocolate in the world, according to Dulyx. "Operators are building on that connection by layering in ingredients like ube, coconut, and other tropical flavors." Layers of texture, spice, and sweetness. Korea is not traditionally seen as a country with a nostalgic connection to chocolate, Dulyx says, but still, "chocolate appears across beverages, bingsu (a Korean shaved ice dessert), cakes, pastries, and premium coffee drinks." He points to how Korean cafes are adept at using different textures to make drinks feel more unique by "combining coffee, chocolate, grains, foams, creams, mousses, and crunchy inclusions into a single beverage experience." He adds that Korean cafe culture serves as an example of how familiar drinks can command higher menu prices when texture and presentation are elevated. There is an emerging interest in gochujang and gochugaru-fermented and dried Korean chili preparations-as ingredients in coffee drinks as the sweet-and-spicy ('swicy') trend picks up. However, this seems driven more by innovators in the U.S. than traditional Korean cuisine. Morgan Eckroth, the 2022 U.S. Barista Champion turned TikTok personality, created a recipe for a Gochugaru Mocha. The recipe calls for cooking chili powder directly into the chocolate sauce base for a smoky-spicy take on the classic mocha. Washington's Olympia Coffee takes a similar approach with their winter menu repeat, the gochujang hot chocolate. Japan's clearest impact on the global coffee industry is matcha, and matcha-chocolate pairings are already widespread. Matcha Cafe Maiko, a chain with locations across 15 U.S. states, lists a Matcha Chocolate Latte, a matcha latte finished with chocolate drizzle, as one of its best sellers. Dulyx suggests the Japanese flavors of hojicha, yuzu, and black sugar can also play well with chocolate and coffee when used with restraint. "Sweetness becomes more subtle," he says, "creating opportunities for chocolate to play a more nuanced role." The common thread. Zoom out, and Dulyx sees one throughline connecting it all: "From a broader perspective, we're seeing consumers gravitate toward beverages that deliver an experience," he says. "Operators are finding success by adding unique textures, finishing rituals [like aromatic oil sprays or fresh herb garnishes], or functional or seasonal ingredients." He says this is not a reflection of a decline in demand for the classic mocha. There's still plenty of interest in the base coffee-plus-chocolate pairing. However, he says it's notable that consumers "are rewarding operators who elevate [chocolate drinks] through premium ingredients, texture, and presentation." Photos courtesy of Adelitas Coffee Company Garrett Oden Garrett Oden is the owner of Fresh Cup, a coffee industry publication for professionals, and Alimentous Studio, a content and copywriting agency for coffee, F&B, and food tech businesses. Join 12,500+ coffee leaders and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company closed its flagship San Francisco store on 30 July during a three-day strike over a union contract dispute. Workers from Unite Here Local 2 have been negotiating for over a year with the company regarding healthcare insurance coverage. The union accuses Ghirardelli of bargaining in bad faith and claims the company is proposing an alternative health insurance plan that would provide less coverage than the current union-backed plan. Workers established picket lines outside the store before moving to two other Ghirardelli Square locations. This marks the first strike by all shop workers since 1984. Ghirardelli, owned by Lindt & Sprungli since 1998, operates 19 shops across the US and recently surpassed $1 billion in annual net trade sales.
Ghirardelli's SF flagship store closes as union workers begin three-day strike. Ghirardelli Chocolate closed the doors of its flagship location at SF's Fisherman's Wharf Thursday after union workers walked off the job to launch a three-day strike over an ongoing contract dispute. Ghirardelli shuttered its Original Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop in Ghirardelli Square Thursday morning after workers began picketing, as the Chronicle reports. The company then directed customers to its other stores, prompting union members to move their picket line to the nearby Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience. The strike stems from stalled contract negotiations between Ghirardelli and Unite Here Local 2, which represents about 50 employees at the flagship shop. The union says talks, which began in May 2025, have broken down over proposed cuts to workers' health insurance and the company's refusal to disclose how much revenue it collects from a 6% customer surcharge that employees say is intended to help fund healthcare costs, according to the Chronicle. "They charge customers an extra 6% fee that's supposed to be for our healthcare, but they won't tell us how much they earn from that fee," longtime stocker Alicia Tamayo said in a statement released by the union. "Now they want to cut our health insurance." San Francisco businesses can reportedly choose to add healthcare surcharges to customers' bills, but they must report how much they collect if the fee is meant to cover costs under the city's Health Care Security Ordinance, along with how much they spend on employee healthcare, with any excess ultimately going toward workers' health benefits. Previously, Local 2 union members held a one-day strike on Valentine's Day, the company's busiest day of the year. Ghirardelli says it's "bargaining in good faith" and remains focused on reaching an agreement that supports employees while ensuring the long-term success of the business. Per the Chronicle, the company did not directly answer questions about the surcharge or say how long the flagship store would remain closed. The flagship shop is reportedly the only unionized Ghirardelli location in San Francisco, and its employees have not gone on strike since 1984. Image: Local 2/Facebook
Ghirardelli moving to temporary Disney Springs location ahead of major refurbishment. June 13, 2026 Some posts may contain affiliate links which means its team could earn money if you purchase products from its site. Ghirardelli moves one step closer to temporary Disney Springs relocation. Chocolate lovers may not have to wait much longer before seeing Ghirardelli settle into its temporary new home at Disney Springs. A newly filed permit for signage at the former Sprinkles and CrazyShake location in Town Center suggests preparations are moving forward as the iconic chocolate shop gets ready for a major renovation of its current location. The temporary storefront will serve guests while the existing Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop near World of Disney undergoes an extensive refurbishment. While Disney has not announced an official opening date for the temporary location, signage permits are typically filed during the final stages of a project, making this an encouraging sign that the transition could happen soon. Disney has already confirmed that Ghirardelli's current location will close for a major remodel, with the refreshed space expected to reopen in Spring 2027. Once construction is complete, the company plans to return to its longtime home, making the Town Center location a temporary stop along the way. For now, guests can keep an eye on the former Sprinkles and CrazyShake building as it transforms into Disney Springs' newest source of sundaes, shakes, and chocolate treats. With the permitting process moving ahead, it looks like Ghirardelli's sweet relocation is getting closer by the day. If you're planning a Disney Springs shopping and snacking adventure before the big move, be sure to reach out to its friends at Get Away Today to help plan your next Walt Disney World getaway. Get all the best Disney News and more, straight to your inbox! For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow Chip & Co. on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Let its friends at Get Away Today help you book your next Disney or Universal Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who Chip & Co. use ourselves.
Ghirardelli Getting Closer to Opening Temporary Disney Springs Town Center Location. Posted: Thursday June 11, 2026 12:11pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop has filed a permit for signage at the former Sprinkles and CrazyShake location in Disney Springs Town Center, the latest sign that the temporary relocation is moving forward. The permit was filed today, though no opening date for the temporary location has been confirmed, and no closure date has been announced for the existing Ghirardelli spot near World of Disney. That said, a signage permit is typically one of the later steps before a new location opens, suggesting things are progressing. Given that Ghirardelli will want to keep downtime to a minimum, a smooth handover between the two locations seems likely - meaning the temporary Town Center spot could open close to when the original location closes for its remodel. The original Ghirardelli location near World of Disney is closing for a major remodel, with the refurbished space expected to reopen in Spring 2027. The Town Center location will be temporary only, with Ghirardelli returning to its original spot once the work is complete. Discuss on the Forums Conversation. Ghirardelli Getting Closer to Opening Temporary Disney Springs Town Center Location Ghirardelli has filed a signage permit for its temporary Town Center location, taking over the former Sprinkles and CrazyShake spot while its original location near World of Disney undergoes a remodel. No opening date has been confirmed, but a signage permit is typically one of the last steps before a new location opens. https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/Ghirardelli-Soda-Fountain-and-Chocolate-Shop/news/11jun2026-ghirardelli-getting-closer-to-opening-temporary-disney-springs-town-center-location.htm Bocabear11 days ago. It is a shame they are not moving to a larger building permanently and doing something more like Toothsome Chocolate Factory with it...A huge Ghirardelli Branded mega store/bakery/restaurant would be a great fit for the Springs. Disney Co were locals for a while and it it was always on the list until it became impossible to find a seat inside or outside. If I want to stand and eat my food I go to Epcot. At least they have trash cans. sWANNISAX11 days ago. This used to be a staple stop on my trips for years. It simply just got too expensive and hard to find a seat especially in the evenings. I also miss the free samples. I wonder if the remodel might lead to a more unified store concept with the chocolate and ice cream areas mixed together. Without the samples to bring people in im not sure how much foot traffic the store side is getting. Those were the good old days!!! That's on the list of things I miss... RoyWalley11 days ago. After the pandemic (2022), they eliminated many flavors of ice cream & simplified their menu, not offering as much. Bring back the Espresso chip ice cream! I know it will never happen, but it would be awesome if Ghirardelli went to serving the ice cream in glass dishes like in San Francisco (I repeat that I know that it will never happen given the location). And bring back the samples! Comped12 days ago. They weirdly seem to come and go without warning, as a local it's ever so slightly annoying because a bit of chocolate could really help your blood sugar in the heat Springs seems to have no matter the time of day haha. Bring back the free samples Ghirardelli...then Disney Co'll talk. :grumpy: