Fran's Chocolates facts for kids
The shop at Fran's Chocolates headquarters in Georgetown, Seattle, Washington, 2024.
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| Industry | Chocolate |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1982 in Madison Park, Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Founder | Fran Bigelow |
| Headquarters |
Seattle, Washington
,
United States
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Number of locations
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7 |
| Products | chocolate truffles, caramels, desserts |
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Number of employees
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75-85, season depending (2018) |
Fran's Chocolates, often called Fran's, is a famous company that makes delicious chocolates. It was started by Fran Bigelow in Seattle, Washington. The company is most famous for its tasty caramels covered in chocolate with a touch of salt. You can find Fran's Chocolates stores in the Seattle metropolitan area and even in Japan.
Contents
The Story of Fran's Chocolates
How Fran Bigelow Started Her Chocolate Journey
Fran Bigelow grew up in Seattle. She first studied to be an accountant. In 1965, she finished her business degree at the University of Washington. About five years later, she traveled to France with her husband. Her husband's job as a hospital administrator later took them to San Francisco.
While in San Francisco, Fran decided to learn more about cooking. She took professional cooking classes at the California Culinary Academy. There, she learned from a skilled pastry chef from Switzerland.
Opening the First Shop and Creating Favorites
In 1980, Fran and her husband moved back to Seattle. In 1982, Fran Bigelow opened her first small shop. It was in the Madison Park neighborhood of Seattle. She started by selling chocolate truffles and other desserts.
At first, only two people worked at the shop. The truffles cost 35 cents each. Fran soon created her special "Gold Bars." She wanted a candy that would last longer than truffles. The Gold Bars quickly became very popular with customers. By 1996, she was selling almost 500,000 Gold Bars every year! In 1986, Fran also began making delicious caramels.
The Rise of Salted Caramels
In 1998, Fran had a great idea: she started adding gray salt to her caramels. This made them even more special. By 2006, these salted caramels made up 75% of all the company's sales. By 2008, they were the best-selling item.
Part of their fame came from former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. They loved Fran's salted caramels! In 2006, Fran's Chocolates was featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. This helped the company reach a record $4.5 million in sales that year.
Growing Bigger and Moving Headquarters
By 2007, Fran's Chocolates had 40 employees. Fran's daughter, Andrina, also joined the company. In 2008, Fran's opened a new store in Downtown Seattle. This store was inside the Four Seasons hotel. It became the main store for the company.
In 2014, the company moved its main office. It moved from the Capitol Hill area 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 regularly shipped chocolates across the United States and to Japan.
Recognitions and Awards
In 2018, Fran Bigelow was honored by the Specialty Food Association. She was added to their Hall of Fame. This was for "sparking the artisan chocolate renaissance in the United States." This means she helped bring back interest in high-quality, handmade chocolates. In 2021, Food & Wine magazine named Fran's one of the top 50 chocolate shops in the United States.
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 shares chocolate recipes that are not too hard to make. In 2005, the book was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Baking and Desserts category.
Awards and Honors
Fran's Chocolates has won many awards for its delicious products:
- 2003: Confection of the Year from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade for their gray salt caramels.
- 2005: NASFT Award for Smoked Salt Caramels.
- 2007: Sofi Award Finalist for Outstanding Chocolate, for their Hazelnut Diamonds.
- 2007: Sofi Award for Outstanding Hot Beverage, for Fran’s Premium Hot Chocolate.
- 2012: Lifetime Achievement Award from the 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.
- The Book of Chocolate called Fran's "The country's best overall chocolatier in the United States."
