THEO CHOCOLATE IS SHUTTING DOWN ITS FLAGSHIP STORE

In 2023, Theo Chocolate, a chocolate maker that was a pioneer in its use of fair trade and organic ingredients, closed down its factory following a merger with a company called American Licorice. The space in the old brick building near the Fremont Cut remained in use as the brand’s flagship store, but now Theo is curtailing operations even further and closing on February 16, according to a Theo’s Instagram post.

Theo is also closing its store in Bellevue, meaning that Theo will remain available for purchase online and in stores but its own retail footprint in the Seattle metro area will disappear.

Theo was founded in 2005 by organic chocolate maven Joe Whinney, Essential Baking Company founder Jeff Fairhall, and Debra Music. It has grown into an extremely recognizable local brand notable for its sometimes odd flavor combinations, like cinnamon horchata and salted black licorice.

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Eater Seattle reached out to Theo Chocolate to ask why the decision to close was made and how many jobs were affected but did not hear back.

Whatever the reason for this closure, the end of the flagship store means the brand is further disconnected from the city that incubated it. There’s still a Theo team in the Seattle area, led by CEO Etienne Patout — who took over the company in 2018 — but the chocolate is no longer made here and soon there will be no customer-facing presence on the ground.

2025-02-03T22:16:07Z