An Update from Theo Chocolate

June 28, 2023

Today, we announced upcoming changes at Theo.

First, we announced that Theo intends to merge with American Licorice Company (ALC), in a proposed transaction that is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023. ALC, a family-owned and operated confectioner, strategically partners with companies and brands like Theo to help them realize their mission and values. Theo would become a part of ALC’s portfolio of organic brands, including TORIE & HOWARD® and ZING BAR®. Our commitment to delivering delicious, organic, ethically sourced (fair trade) chocolate will remain unchanged, and you will still be able to find our products online and at retailers nationwide

Separately, we are undergoing a restructure of our operations, which will result in the closing of our Seattle manufacturing and reductions in office staff. We, like many other businesses, have been contending with rising costs across all aspects of our manufacturing and supply chain and had to make some difficult but necessary decisions to ensure the future of the company and our mission.

Approximately 60 members of the Theo team will be separated as part of the restructure, starting in September. We are committed to supporting them during this transition, including severance pay, earned time off payouts, COBRA medical coverage, and access to job placement and mental health resources. We welcome any local organizations who are hiring to reach out to us as we provide resources to our affected teams.

Theo will continue our presence in Seattle through its headquarters, Flagship Store and Confection Kitchen, but our factory tours will be closing on August 30^th, 2023 as we wind down manufacturing operations.

We are so grateful for the support of our customers and community for the past 18 years, as Theo has grown from a local company to the nationally distributed brand it is today, creating delicious organic and fair trade chocolate. With your support, we’ve sourced over 12,000 metric tons of organic and fair trade cocoa beans since our founding, with a real impact on over 5,000 cocoa famers and their communities.

Our dedication to our mission remains incredibly important to us, and we look forward to continuing to work together to build on this impact into the future. While our operations are changing, we will remain committed to creating chocolate that’s organic, fair trade, and up to the same standards of quality you’ve come to expect from Theo. We hope we’ll have the chance to prove this commitment to you in the future as we work through this time of transition for Theo.