Thank you!!!

I'd like to give a big huge THANK YOU to all of you who came to our acoustic show Friday night and to the Jefferson Street show tonight! Good times and great music were shared by all!

I can't wait for next month!

Just a reminder...

Howdy folks,

I just wanted to give you all a reminder that our first (hopefully of many) blood drive is going on next Thursday, March 25, from 11am-5pm. We have a sign up sheet at the store, and if you can't make it by here to sign up, you can still do so by clicking here! It's as simple as that! Spread the word!

We will have a table set up so that everyone who donates will get one of our incredible hand-made truffles to savor afterwards.

I look forward to meeting you all, and I would personally like to extend my gratitude to all of you for taking to the time to help us help others!

Thanks!

Chocolate Club Meeting is TOMORROW!!!

Hey folks!

Just wanted to give you all a friendly reminder that tomorrow from 8-9:30pm is our next Chocolate Club Meeting! Taste great chocolate and get insight from Bittersweet's own chocolatier, Seneca Klaussen. Ask him about anything chocolate and he's sure to have an answer for you... :)

Seats are only $5 and are limited to 20 per meeting so make sure you stop by the store and sign up today!

We're Celebrating!!!

Today marks the 5th anniversary of Bittersweet Cafe's first store in Oakland! For those of us on this side of the mountain, we are celebrating by having an "Anniversary Special" of our own!

All day today, you can get 2 of our "Classic" hot chocolate drinks for $5.55!
(These drinks are excellent over ice as well...)

Come bring all your friends and family down to the store and celebrate with us!

First Chocolate Club Meeting This Thursday.

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.

Postcards from Paris

"Paris Postcards" is a new book written by Leonard Pitt.

He will be joining us Thursday, December 10th, from 7-9PM, to discuss his new book and show some of the postcards, as well as, discuss his favorite chocolate, Pralus.

“The book has almost 200 stunning postcards, many hand tinted, from the early 1900s. The history of the early postcard is full of drama. Deplored by many, it became a world-wide craze that revolutionized communication just like email today and with many of the same problems. The photos in the book show a Paris that no longer exists. The messages written by Americans to loved ones back home evoke the American experience of Paris at the turn of the century.”
-Leonard Pitt

Come and join us for some fabulous chocolate and a "guaranteed good time."

Help Us Help Others

Bittersweet Cafe is joining with Free Stores Partners of Danville and Vallejo for their Holiday Clothing Drive.

We are collecting gently-used and clean clothing to stock the Free Stores at Vallejo High Schools. You donations will help disadvantaged high school students in Vallejo. We need sweaters, jackets, coats, t-shirts, pants, gently-used shoes, and accessories.

This is a great opportunity to clean out your closets before the holidays and to make a young person smile.

Please drop off your donations at Bittersweet Cafe. We are accepting clothing every weekend through December 20th.

Thank you and enjoy the holiday season.

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.

This Week's Events!

We have a lot going on this week! Come and join us for the fun!

Wednesday, September 16th - Yappy Hour!
Please join us in supporting Dog Bone Alley and their upcoming event for pets and their people. There will be music, carnival games, treats, and raffle prizes, so be sure to bring your furriest family member and come join the fun. And if you don't have a pet the Arf Mobile Adoption Unit will be on hand to help you find a new friend and family member.

Thursday, September 17th - Hot September Nights!
Every Thursday Night in September, Bittersweet Cafe is Hot!

From 6:00-9:00 PM tonight Receive 20% Off Drinks.

Celebrate the coming of Fall, the kids being back in school, life, and chocolate.

Friday, September 18th - Free Massage Friday!
We are still appreciating all of you! Stop by this Friday and every other Friday from 9-1 for your Free Massage from D'Jour Massage Therapists. They are licensed and professionals and take it from me...they know what they are doing! Leilani is the best!

Hot September Nights!

Every Thursday Night in September, beginning September 3rd, Bittersweet Cafe is Hot!

From 6:00-9:00 PM Receive 20% Off Drinks.

Celebrate the coming of Fall, the kids being back in school, life, and chocolate on Thursday Nights.

See ya here.

Back to School!

Save the date! Friday, August 28th, from 4-7 PM we are having a Back to School Event! Bring your school ID and Buy One Milkshake and Get The Second for 1/2 Price!

Write this one down, because you won't want to miss it!

See you then and enjoy your new school year!

It's Customer Appreciation Day!

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to post a little reminder that the ladies from D'Jour are here to give free massages until 11am today!

Free massages? Awesome chocolate drinks made by yours truly???
How can you possibly go wrong... :)

Summer Block Party Tonight from 5-8 PM!

The time has come for fun and summer activities! Stop by tonight for 20% off our ice cream treats, balloons, live music, and the ever popular skate board ramp. This will be an event you won't want to miss!

Grab the family, go out on a Thursday Night and have fun at the Rose Garden and Bittersweet!

Block Party this Thursday!

Time is getting close. This Thursday, June 25th is the Summer Block Party here at the Rose Garden from 5-8 PM.

There will be all kinds of fun for everyone, live music, a bouncy house, ballons, and more! KRV will be building a skate ramp for everyone to use, so come prepared and don't forget your helmet!

This Thursday will be all kinds of fun and we will even have specials on our ice cream treats!

And don't forget that Hannah Finnie, our own artist, will be in the store showing some of her art.

Stop by and bring the whole family!

Addtition to June 25th - Artist Show!

Did you miss your chance to see Hannah Finnie and her artwork on the 13th? Well, now you get a second chance, she will be joining us for the June 25th Summer Block Party. This is your opportunity to see her other work, not just what hangs in our store. Hannah is a very talented artist that is only in the area for a short time and will be here to answer questions and talk about her work. You may even be able to commission something for your own walls.

This is just another reason to stop by on June 25th for the Summer Block Party at the Rose Garden Shopping Center. It is going to be a lot of fun!

See you here!

June 25th is the Summer Block-Party at the Rose Garden

Our next event is fast approaching. Thursday, June 25th from 5-8 PM is the Rose Garden Shopping Center's Summer Block Party! Stop by the Center for specials at all the stores and great fun for the kids. There will be live music, a bounce house, balloon artist, and more. I don't want to forget to mention that KRV is putting up a skate board ramp!

This is going to be a lot of fun, so don't forget to mark your calendar. Now that summer is here the Rose Garden is the place to be.

Bittersweet will be having specials on all of their ice cream treats, so don't miss it!

See ya here!

Meet the Artist!

Just a reminder that the wonderful artist whose work adorns our walls, Hannah Finnie, is here right now until 4pm to show more of her work! She is available to answer any questions you might have, to talk about any commissioned work that you might want done, or to chat about her paintings. Come check out more of her gorgeous artwork while you enjoy a cold drink!

This Saturday from 2-6 - Hannah Finnie!

On Saturday, June 13th, from 2:00-6:00 PM the very talented artist who did the pieces that hang in our store, and daughter of one of the owners, Hannah Finnie is going to be here to show her work.

Please stop by to see her other accomplishments and ask questions. She may even be available for commissions.

This is a rare opportunity to talk with Hannah while she is in town, so please mark your calendars.

Artist Trunk Show Saturday, June 13th

Many of you have come in and admired the art that we have in the store. A few have even asked if they were for purchase. They are not, but the artist is coming to town.

On Saturday, June 13th, from 2:00-6:00 PM the very talented artist who did the pieces that hang in our store, and daughter of one of the owners, Hannah Finnie is going to be here to show her work.

Please stop by to see her other accomplishments and ask questions. She may even be available for commissions.

This is a rare opportunity to talk with Hannah while she is in town, so please mark your calendars.

Ice Cream Social this Thursday!

Our last Thursday night event as part of our Spring Fling, the Ice Cream Social, is this Thursday, May 21st, from 7-9 PM.

Bring the kids and stop by the store for 20% OFF our ice cream treats. Help us celebrate the beginning of summer and school letting out. You will also find some of our other treats for you to sample and don't forget the games available for you to borrow.

The days are already getting warmer, so make a night of it at Bittersweet Cafe this Thursday! Start a new tradition at the Bittersweet Ice Cream Social.