Hi! We are Grace and Lucius, and together, we make Gracius Cocoa.
We met in 2019 on a study abroad program through the University of Minnesota Duluth. In the program, we went Trinidad to learn about the science and art of making chocolate from the best teachers of all, cocoa farmers.
While in Trinidad, we learned the entire chocolate making process from beginning to end, from planting trees and harvesting the pods directly from the tree, all the way to molding it into bars and eating it. We fell in love with making chocolate while also falling for each other, and we have been attached at the hip ever since.
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After returning to Minnesota, we knew that we wanted to get back to what connected us in the beginning. However, as young college students it was out of the picture and we focused on finishing school and finding careers, putting cocoa on the backburner.
Three years later, we were searching for something to look forward to after a long day at work. We saw an ad in the paper to participate in the local farmers market and it caught our attention. Just like that, our passion for making chocolate was rekindled. We purchased equipment and began making chocolate bars in our one-bedroom apartment in Minnetonka. After sharing our bars with friends and family and receiving such positive reviews, we thought we could really make a living out of this!
And Gracius Cocoa was born!
