Goodbye Theo. Hello Spinnaker!

With the departure of Theo Chocolate from the Fremont scene back at the end of 2023, there are chocoholics among us who may have been suffering withdrawal symptoms. Those folks can now rest easy with the arrival of Spinnaker Chocolate to Stone Way.

Spinnaker had previously operated a shop in Ravenna, which they closed in April. They opened up at 3509 Stone Way N around mid-May, although they consider themselves to be in a “soft-opening” phase at least until early June. A café is slated to open at some indefinite point in the near future. (I noticed the espresso machine is already in place.)

Spinnaker Chocolate is owned by local brothers Chris and Kelly Van Arsdale. According to madeinwashington.com:

They began making chocolate as a hobby and over the course of several years turned their hobby into a full-fledged obsession. When the pandemic struck, they decided to move out of their garage and turn their hobby into a real business, so in 2021 Spinnaker Chocolate officially opened its doors.

When it comes to a corporate vision that goes beyond just making money, Spinnaker checks many of the boxes that we’ve come to expect here in Seattle: sustainably-sourced ingredients, meticulous production processes, a transparent supply chain, a portion of sales going to worthy causes, etc. What you don’t see called out on websites that much is a commitment to reduce packaging waste. As they tell it:

We’re tired of seeing trash floating in the ocean, so we’ve made it a mission to reduce waste wherever we can. From our tape, labels, and boxes to our shipping insulation and bar wrapper, our packaging is compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable.

When I dropped by on May 21 (a Wednesday), the shop was not exactly bustling, but baristas were being interviewed, chocolate was being made, and foot traffic was milling about the chocolate display. I spoke at some length to the employee behind the counter, who explained that Spinnaker places an emphasis on eliminating potential allergens from their products. Their chocolates are nut- and gluten-free. (I’m not sure how gluten could sneak into chocolate, but it sneaks into a lot of stuff.) Their chocolate is also mostly dairy-free, a doggy-downer if you love milk chocolate, obviously.

I investigated the chocolates on display and found Belize to be heavily represented among the several countries from which Spinnaker sources their beans. While the new Stone Way location is the only place where Spinnaker produces and sells its chocolate, its bars are widely available throughout the greater Seattle area. For those wanting to pair their chocolate with something else tasty, I’ll note that Figurehead Brewing (which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on Stone Way) is right next door. Beer and chocolate is a combo that holds no appeal for me, but YMMV.