Closing Early On Halloween

Bittersweet will be closing at 6:00 PM on Halloween to hide from all the little tricksters.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

Chocolate can be your knight in shining armor...here's why!

Eat Chocolate at least twice a week, and live longer!!

A recent study in Sweden concluded that eating chocolate can lengthen your life! According to the study, eating chocolate cuts the risk of dying from a heart attack by three times. The study was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine and led by Imre Janszky at the Karolinska Institute, and they found that chocolate with a 70% cocoa content was most effective in making people healthy and live longer. Another result from the study showed that it cuts the mortality rate for post-menopausal women and healthy older men, which gives them yet another reason to enjoy retired life with chocolate!!

So head on over to Bittersweet, for your bittersweet chocolate....who knows, it could save your life!

Melissa Love, Shift Supervisor

New Halloween Items In...

and they are going fast. If you are looking for that special little gift for your little ghostie, stop in soon before they all disappear.

We have a nice selection of little gift bags filled with all kinds of treats. Perfect for a co-worker or friend who you wanted to find "a little something" for.

We will see you here and have your favorite drink waiting for you.

Another Rainy Day

It is sprinkling yet again. What a perfect day to curl up with a good book and stay in bed all day. What would make it even better? Why a cup of amazing hot chocolate made with real chocolate, no syrups or flavorings added. Then on top of that add a housemade raspberry marshmallow to complete the picture.

Your chocolate is waiting for you at Bittersweet. It will brighten your cloudy day.

Chocolate Club To Start Next Month!

Chocolate Clubs are forming now, are open to the public, will meet once per quarter, to teach the ‘art’ and nuance of chocolate tasting

Seneca Klassen, chocolatier for the Bay Area’s three renowned Bittersweet Cafes, will host once per quarter chocolate tastings through newly formed Chocolate Clubs. Each of the three Bay Area Bittersweet Cafes will have its own club.

The Rockridge Chocolate Club will kick off on October 29, the Danville store’s first meeting will be November 19 from 8:00-9:30 PM and the San Francisco’s Club will enjoy its initial meeting on December 17.

Forming now, the Chocolate Clubs at each store will be limited to 18 regular members plus seven open spaces reserved for on-the-spot sign-ups for each meeting. Annual memberships cost $20 which includes four chocolate tasting meetings (one per quarter) and a ten percent off discount card for Bittersweet purchases. Individual meetings will cost $5. The first Chocolate Club meeting at each store will cost $5 so people may attend and see what’s in store before making a full year’s commitment.

"Focused chocolate tasting is a great experience and offers a new way to really appreciate the amazing palate you find in chocolate," explains Klassen. "Like any other fermented varietal food, chocolate is affected by factors ranging from genetics to soil, climate and microbiology. We look forward to exploring this territory with our in-store chocolate clubs."

“The initial club meetings will introduce members to the various aspects of chocolate tasting so people will have an opportunity to see what the concept is all about, and the chocolate club membership might be a great gift for your favorite chocoholic,” says Bittersweet co-founder, Penny Finnie.

Klassen will guide members through the chocolate tastings at each store. He is the creator of Bittersweet Origins chocolate and makes the “bean-to-bar” chocolate in 50-pound micro-batches, making each bar unique. He uses cacao beans from the Dominican Republic, Bali and Venezuela for his Bittersweet Origins chocolates and roasts and prepares the beans in Bittersweet’s Berkeley production facility. Klassen spent this summer in Oahu, planting a 15-acre 7000-tree cacao plantation.

Sign ups for each Chocolate Club are available at each Bittersweet location. The first meeting is $5 to reserve your seat. Space is limited, so please act early.

Cloudy skies have gone.....

and the bats are once again flying in anticipation of Halloween. We are quickly selling out of our limited edition Halloween items, so if you are looking for that little something special you will want to drop in soon.

Also, we will be introducing our Single Origin drip coffee on Monday. It is a Guatemalan bean, Finca La Forencia. This is the primary bean of our Faultline blend and has a wonderful aroma. This is the perfect introduction to a Single Origin Coffee or if you are a well seasoned coffee aficionado, it is sure to please. Stop by and try a cup next week or take a bag to try at home.

And not to forget, the ladies of D'Jour will be in the store tomorrow for their usual Free Massage Friday event. Come in the morning to take advantage of their amazing talents to soothe and relax you after a tiring and stormy week.

Cure for the rain-soaked blues...

Wow, it's pouring out there! And as the rain pours from the clouds, we're pouring hot drinks to soothe you from the cold weather.

We've got a lot of people coming in for a deliciously rich cup of our Classic hot chocolate drink. Why don't you join us? We even have smaller portions for the little ones who are crave a little chocolate warmth as well.

For all of you that need a little caffeine boost, we make a killer mocha that rivals (or should I say, "surpasses") the corporate coffee guys...

It's very peaceful in here today-- the perfect place to catch up on work or finish writing that 10 page essay your teacher's been bugging you for... :)

Halloween Is Here!

Boo! Did I get you?

Treats and sweets for all your little ghosties, ghouls, and goblins have skipped into the store. If you are looking for the perfect chocolate treat we have things you won't find anywhere else. The ever popular Crispy Pop is back along with fall flavored chocolate caramels and gift bags filled with chocolate eyeballs. Bittersweet is the perfect stop for your Halloween Party gifts or satisfying munchie.

We even have a fun interactive Haunted Hunt Chocolate Game. Enjoyable for kids of all ages and filled with fun chocolate game pieces.

Stop in and check out the treats for yourself.

Wooooo, don't be scared. Our Ghouls are sweet!

Open Earlier!

Bittersweet is now open one hour earlier during the week. Starting today we are open at 7:00 AM Monday-Friday.

Now you can get your coffee and chocolate even earlier.

See you at 7:00 AM.

Last Chance!

Today is the last day that we are giving away free cups of Bittersweet's own "Fault Line" drip coffee!!!
Consisting of 95% Guatamalan and 5% Sumatran beans, our new line of drip coffee is the perfect compliment to any of our chocolate bars and pastries.

Stop by and get your free cup of coffee today!

Free Free Free!!!

I love free stuff.

Just wanted to give ya'all a little reminder that Leilani from D'Jour Pamper Tours is here at this very moment to give our wonderful customers free massages today! In addition to free cups of Bittersweet's own "Fault Line" drip coffee, how can you go wrong???

Stop by right now and get pampered! :)

Free Friday!

Not only are we celebrating the rolling out of our Bittersweet Brand Fault Line Coffee with Free Cups of Coffee through Saturday, but Leilani and Jessica of D'Jour will be here tomorrow morning offering their services and giving Free Massages from 9:00-1:00.

What a way to start the weekend, but with an amazing cup of free coffee and a free massage.

I know I will be enjoying it around noon and I hope to see you here.