Summer is a great time to take your kids on a field trip to one of the Bay Area’s factories where sweets are made. They even offer samples!
Chocolate Goodness
The Bay Area is a chocolatier hub with factories for big makers like Ghirardelli and See’s Candies. While these larger chocolate factories don’t offer tours for the public, there are smaller ones that are just as tasty and host events.
Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco has tours as well as other fun events that are both informative and yummy. Dandelion makes chocolate from just two ingredients – cocoa beans and organic sugar.
Founded by Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring in 2010, the company’s operation began in a garage where the chocolate was made and sold at farmers’ markets before opening the location on Valencia Street. Now its main factory is at 2600 16th St. in San Francisco’s Mission District and there are cafes and stores at other locations throughout the city.
Tours at the 16th Street factory are daily, but times vary. Kayla Locascio, manager of the chocolate experience, recommends people book far in advance. The one-hour tour costs $20 and includes sample tastings, viewing where the chocolate is made and cracking open a cocoa pod. The tour concludes with a chocolate drink.
“Every experience at the factory is designed to connect you with the process,” Locascio says. “You’ll never not have enough chocolate on the tours.”
The tour is y educational, so parents should be mindful of their child’s attention span. Children ages 7 and up should have no problem staying engaged or children who are interested in the food-making process.
There will be a special event for the youngest chocolate lovers this summer. Dandelion is hosting a screening of “Frozen” on July 5 at the factory and will serve ice cream made in house, as well as popcorn and cookies. The event costs $40 and reservations can be made on the website.
The company also regularly hosts classes, parties and corporate events.
“For kids who are 10 and up who are looking for something more hands-on, our truffle making class is a lot of fun,” Locascio says. “It’s a great activity and everyone gets really messy.”
Across the bay in Berkeley, TCHO offers great tours of its chocolate-making factory that comes with tastings as well. This award-winning chocolate company was founded by NASA tech wizard Timothy Childs; chief chocolate maker Brad Kintzer has led the chocolate making for over a decade. One of its keys to making excellent chocolate is working with farmer partners to create great cocoa. It’s located at 3100 San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley and tours can be reserved online for $15 per person.
Fortune Cookie Fun
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory has been making fortune cookies by hand since 1962. You can find the factory by following the sweet smell down Ross Alley in Chinatown where they make up to 10,000 fortune cookies each day.
Visitors to the factory can watch the process, try samples and make their own fortune. In the shop, you can find everything from traditional fortune cookies to strawberry and green tea flavored to those dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. These delightful cookies are made with a mixture of vanilla, flour, sesame, butter, sugar and eggs and can last for up to three months.
The factory is open 9am-6:30pm Monday-Friday and 9am-7pm Saturday and Sunday.
Gourmet Jelly Beans
Jelly Belly Factory tours are popular for visitors near and far. The gourmet jelly bean maker offers unique flavors including “Butter Popcorn,” “Cappuccino,” “Cotton Candy,” “Strawberry Cheesecake” and “Toasted Marshmallow.” It also has specially themed flavors, such as Cold Stone’s “Mint Chocolate Chip,” “Birthday Cake Remix” and Boba Milk Tea flavors like “Strawberry Milk Tea” and “Thai Milk Tea.”
There are two options for touring the factory – self-guided or guided. The self-guided factory lane tour and museum experience is offered seven days a week from 9:15am-4pm. It includes interactive exhibits and games along the tour lane. The Jelly Belly Express Train ride is included. The self-guided tour does not require reservations and tickets can be purchased in the visitors’ center for $8 adults, $4 ages 3-17 and free for 2 and under.
For the other option, a tour guide leads groups of up to six through the factory and museum. Tours are available at 9:15am, 11:30am and 1:30pm, and reservations are required. This tour costs $212.74 per group.
There’s also the Jelly Belly Jean Bean Art Gallery, the Jelly Belly Candy Store, the Jelly Belly Café, Jelly Belly Chocolate Shoppe and Fudge Counter and the Chocolate & Wine Experience.
jellybelly.com/california-factory-tours
Bread Making
At Boudin Sourdough’s flagship location at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, you can watch bakers at work crafting batches of bread by hand through a 30-foot observation window. If you have questions, you can ask through an intercom system.
Nearby there’s also the Bistro Boudin full-service waterfront restaurant featuring fresh sourdough bread, seafood, steak and pasta. The bakery and restaurant is at 160 Jefferson St.
Teresa Mills-Faraudo is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent