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Fran's Chocolates
Industry Chocolate
Founded 1982 in Madison Park, Seattle, Washington, United States
Founder Fran Bigelow
Headquarters
Seattle, Washington
,
United States
Number of locations
7
Products chocolate truffles, caramels, desserts
Number of employees
75-85, season depending (2018)

Fran's Chocolates, often called Fran's, is a famous chocolate company. It was started by Fran Bigelow in Seattle, Washington. They are most known for their delicious salted caramels covered in chocolate. You can find Fran's Chocolates shops in the Seattle metropolitan area and also in Japan.

The Story of Fran's Chocolates

Starting a Sweet Business

Fran Bigelow grew up in Seattle. She studied business at the University of Washington. After college, she traveled to France and later moved to San Francisco. There, she took cooking classes and learned from a Swiss pastry chef.

In 1982, Fran returned to Seattle. She opened a small shop in the Madison Park neighborhood. She started by selling chocolate truffles and other desserts. At first, she had only two employees.

Popular Treats and Growth

Fran wanted to create a candy that would last longer than truffles. She developed her special Gold Bars. These quickly became a favorite with customers. By 1996, she was selling almost 500,000 Gold Bars each year!

In 1986, Fran began making caramels. Later, in 1998, she added gray salt to them. This made them even more popular.

Becoming a Bestseller

By 2006, the salted caramels made up 75% of Fran's sales. They became the company's best-selling item. This was partly because former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama loved them.

In 2006, Fran's Chocolates was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. This helped the company reach record sales of $4.5 million that year. By 2007, Fran's had 40 employees. Fran's daughter, Andrina, also joined the company.

New Locations and Recognition

In 2008, Fran's opened a new store in Downtown Seattle. This shop was inside the Four Seasons hotel. It became the main store for the company.

In 2014, the company moved its main office to the historic Rainier Brewing Company building. This building is in the Georgetown neighborhood. At that time, Fran's had 67 employees. They were making 30,000 pieces of chocolate every day! They shipped chocolates all over the United States and to Japan.

In 2018, Fran Bigelow was honored. She was put into the Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame. This was for helping to start the "artisan chocolate renaissance" in the U.S. In 2021, Food & Wine magazine named Fran's one of the top 50 chocolate shops in the country.

Fran's Chocolate Book

In 2004, Fran Bigelow wrote a book called Pure Chocolate: Divine Desserts and Sweets from the Creator of Fran’s Chocolates. She wrote it with Helene Siegel. The book has chocolate recipes that are not too hard to make. It was even nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in 2005.

Awards and Honors

Fran's Chocolates has won many awards for its delicious treats:

  • 2003 Confection of the Year, National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, for gray salt caramels
  • 2005 NASFT Award, for Smoked Salt Caramels
  • 2007 Sofi Award Finalist: Outstanding Chocolate, for Hazelnut Diamonds
  • 2007 Sofi Award: Outstanding Hot Beverage, for Fran’s Premium Hot Chocolate
  • 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award, Northwest Chocolate Festival
  • 2014 Sofi Award, for Gray Salt Caramel
  • 2016 Mott Green Sustainability Award
  • 2017 Sofi Award, for Almond Gold Bar
  • 2017 Good Food Award, for Almond Gold Bar
  • 2017 Northwest Chocolate Festival Award Winner, for Fran's Park Bar
  • 2018 Good Food Award, for Dark Chocolate Sauce
  • 2018 Good Food Award, for Caramel Sauce
  • Called "The country's best overall chocolatier in the United States" by The Book of Chocolate
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