The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is a United
States division of Swiss candy-maker Lindt & Sprüngli. The company was founded by and is named after Italian chocolatier Domingo Ghirardelli, who, after working in South America, moved to California. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was incorporated in 1852, and is the second oldest chocolate company in the United StatesA fire on May 3, 1851 destroyed Ghiradelli's San Francisco business, and a few days later his Stockton store was also burned down. However, in September of the same year, Ghirardelli used his remaining assets to open the Cairo Coffee House in San Francisco. This business venture proved unsuccessful, and Ghirardelli opened a new store, named "Ghirardely & Girard" on the corner of Washington and Kearny streets in San Francisco. Soon afterward, Ghirardelli was making enough money to send for his family, who are still living in Peru. He changed the name to "Mrs. Ghirardelli & Co" and, in 1852, imported 200 pounds of cocoa beans. The company was incorporated in 1852 and has been in continuous operation since.
The next year, in 1853, the business relocated to the corner of Jackson and Mason streets. By
1855, a larger manufacturing facility was needed, and so the factory was moved to the corner of Greenwich and Powell streets, while the office remained at the previous location. By 1866, the company was importing one thousand pounds of cocoa beans a year. During this time the company sold liquor, but dropped their line of alcoholic products in 1864. By that time, the company not only sold chocolate, but also coffee and spices to the United States, China, Japan, and Mexico. In 1885, the company imported 450,000 pounds of cocoa beansSeptember 2008
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