DINING OUT: Going cacao for Raaka Chocolate
From bean to bar, Raaka Chocolate is more than just a chocolate company. “Raaka is a social enterprise,” explained founder Ryan Cheney. “We care about how chocolate affects people and we aim for business relationships to improve quality of life where our beans are grown.”
Cheney’s dedication to and raw enthusiasm for his values, mission and company are as infectious as they are serious.
Walking from room to room inside Raaka’s new factory/store space in Red Hook during a recent factory tour, the young entrepreneur explained to an enraptured crowd how Raaka’s “virgin chocolate” transforms from cacao beans sourced globally from responsibly- and sustainably-grown cooperatives in countries such as Belize, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic into smooth, vibrantly flavored bars.