SEATTLE — Inside a chocolate palace in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood, the fragrant factory floor at Fran's Chocolates is a hive of activity, churning out their signature salted chocolates sold all across the country and in Japan.
Andrina Bigelow, the founder's daughter, explained what's going on.
"They are enrobing the smoked salt caramel," she said. "I like to describe it as a chocolate waterfall and then its hand salted. So we've got several people that are picking up the salt by hand and putting that perfect little line on. We really care about the presentation."
Bigelow started her career as mother's little helper.
"I was involved in washing the dishes, mopping the floor, wrapping gold bars...," she said.
Now she's CEO of Fran's Chocolates.
It was her mother, Fran, who changed the fate of the company by deciding to sprinkle grey sea salt over a chocolate dipped caramel.
"People weren't quite ready for it," Bigelow said. "They didn't understand why she was putting salt on caramel. But she kept giving it away to customers for free as samples. Just trying to get people to try it."
Then the New York Times wrote about the chocolates. Oprah raved about them and their biggest fan, President Obama, began giving them away to Oval Office visitors in special keepsake boxes.
"And that really took off and put us on the map at that time," Bigelow said.
Fran's Chocolates is always looking for the next sweet sensation so they can keep the chocolate palace churning.
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