First Scharffen Berger, now Charles Chocolates. What is it about the East Bay that chocolate factories don’t find accommodating?
Charles Chocolates owner Chuck Siegel tells SFoodie today that he is planning to close his 6,700 square foot operation on the Berkeley borders in Emeryville on February 15, and — hopefully — open a new retail space in the San Francisco Centre on Market Street.
It’s disappointing news for those of us who enjoyed watching the Charles crew make their chocolates and candy — not to mention the wonderful series of plein air movie night Siegel offered free of charge last summer. (Screening suitably foodie movies, be it Ratatouille or, of course, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)
The Scharffen Berger factory in west Berkeley was closed down last year after Hershey, its owner since 2005, moved production out of state. It is now the subject of a brouhaha after the medical marijuana dispensary presently located on San Pablo Avenue declared an interest in moving in.
We’ll be keeping an eye on who makes a move on the Charles Chocolate plant.
