Dark Chocolate from Ecuador

In the early 2000s, Monica Jimenez was suffering from cancer when her family decided to make the journey to the United States in search of medical care and a better life. After beating cancer and uprooting a family of 6 (+ a dog!)to a new country, Monica began to work towards an accounting diploma and found herself working in an accounting office. Though life had improved, she soon realized that her real dream was to own a business of her own that she could pass down to her children. After consulting with her nephew who oversees San Jose Plantation in Ecuador, Monica found her calling as the leader in expanding the family business in her new home, Minnesota, and then founding San Jose – Minneapolis LLC. San Jose Plantation in Ecuador has always had the ideal conditions for growing cacao beans. There, the first plantation was a family-owned establishment in the 1930s, the business has been passed down through generations while incorporating new agricultural techniques. It is the 4th generation of the original plantation farmers who is producing Hacienda San Jose chocolates. Since 2018, San Jose Chocolates has expanded through the Minneapolis metropolitan, Monica continues to sell San Jose Chocolates in the local Farmers’ Market. Monica involves her kids and family in hopes that the family business will continue in the future. Like the Plantation generations before her, she continues to prove that dedication, hard work, and family are the real ingredients in San Jose Chocolate.