Our Sweet Beginning: The Menchaca Chocolates Story

A Love Story in Santa Barbara 💕

Every small business has an origin story. For us at Menchaca Chocolates, ours is as rich and sweet as our finest cacao — a tale of love, second chances, and creativity.

We first crossed paths as teenagers in Santa Barbara, but life took us on separate journeys for 37 years. Pete built a 34-year career in fire protection, while LeAnne explored her artistic side through jewelry design, a bed-and-breakfast, and teaching art in New York. Different paths, but the same hometown roots.

When fate brought us back together later in life, it felt like coming home. Our shared Santa Barbara connection sparked not just romance, but the idea of creating something meaningful for our community. We asked ourselves: What adventure could we take on together that blends our passions, celebrates Santa Barbara, and brings joy to others?

From a Dare to a Dream

The answer came in the form of a playful challenge. Pete once joked, "We can’t own a chocolate business!" — which, of course, became a dare to prove ourselves wrong.

We imagined a chocolate company that told romantic Santa Barbara stories through flavor and art. Pete had always dreamed of creating food products, and LeAnne was an artist with a studio — chocolate became the perfect blend of our worlds.

In 2019, we dove in headfirst. We spent nearly a year learning bean-to-bar chocolate-making from scratch — roasting cacao on a tiny kitchen setup, taste-testing late into the night, and embracing the messy, delicious learning curve.

From the start, we committed to one principle: everything would be made by hand, in micro-batches. No big machines. No mass production. Just craft, flavor, and heart.

Small-Batch Beginnings

By late 2020, we launched our first limited holiday chocolate boxes to friends and family. We worried our less-sweet, single-origin flavors might not resonate — but to our surprise, the boxes sold out almost instantly through word-of-mouth.

That support changed everything. Pete began rethinking his retirement, and together we decided to turn our “crazy idea” into a real business.

In mid-2022, we opened our micro-batch chocolate factory and shop at El Mercado on Upper State Street, just a stone’s throw from where we grew up. The aroma of roasting cacao filled the air, LeAnne’s vibrant artwork adorned the walls, and our logo — a loving couple embracing a cacao bean — captured exactly what we stand for: chocolate made with artistry and love.

What Makes Us Different

From day one, we focused on quality over quantity:

• Direct-trade cacao from Guatemala and Ecuador.

• Silky dairy-free oat milk chocolate alongside classic recipes.

• Less sugar, more flavor — letting the fine cacao shine.

• Every step by hand, from roasting to wrapping.

This isn’t just chocolate to us — it’s craft, connection, and community.

Sharing Happiness, One Bite at a Time

Our greatest joy? Seeing someone take a bite, smile, and come back for more. We’re not here to chase mass production or big profits — we’re here to share happiness, one handcrafted bar at a time.

Santa Barbara is our home, and Menchaca Chocolates is our love letter to it — wrapped in foil, tied with ribbon, and ready to be shared.