An Urban Chocolate Factory to Come to Little Havana

Miami's first chocolate factory, Exquisito Chocolates, will soon move into a state-of-the-art facility more than double its size in Little Havana this May — and the story behind its creation and success is thanks to one woman who made her chocolate dreams a reality.

While working in corporate in New York City and moonlighting as a chocolatier, Carolina Quijano never imagined her passion project, Exquisito Chocolates, would turn into the first urban chocolate factory in her hometown.

Exquisito Chocolates was created after Quijano visited Paris and had delicious chocolate. According to Quijano, after this trip, she visited a farmers' market in Miami where she tasted "life-changing" hot chocolate, one with simple yet rich and robust flavors, which reminded her of the comfort of sipping Colombian hot chocolate.

That's all it took to awaken the chocolatier in her; the rest is history.

Her first brick-and-mortar location opened in Little Havana in 2018, where she made and sold single-origin chocolate with ethically sourced cacao from seven different farms in Latin America and the Caribbean. The chocolate has since become a local favorite, earning collaborations with big Miami names such as Café La Trova and others, including Havana Club rum and craft ice cream chain Salt & Straw.

Exquisito Chocolates has also earned multiple accolades since its inception, including taking home the top prize at the 2023 National Good Food Awards in the snack category for its 73 percent agrofloresta brownie.
Along with the success came the need to expand the chocolate factory.

"We produce a lot of chocolate in a rather small space," Quijano tells New Times. "It's not just about a bigger space, but we are expanding into a proper cafe. We're bean-to-bar, so we make everything in-house, and we roast the cacao in-house from the different farms we work with; we have full control over the process."

This is why, in May, Exquisito Chocolates will relocate from its current 1,250-square-foot space to 1900 SW Eighth St., across from Sanguich. The new factory space will be more than double its current size (3,300 square feet) and will include an expanded café menu, fresh pastries, beer and wine pairings, ice cream, drinking chocolates, and indoor and outdoor seating.

In its current space, Exquisito Chocolates offers bars and bonbons, but with the expansion, Quijano will be able to venture into using its chocolate to make ice cream for the first time.

"One of my passion projects is single-origin chocolate ice cream," says Quijano. "People don't realize how different an ice cream can taste based on the origin of the chocolate just because of the flavor profile. We have a Tumaco [a region in Colombia] dark chocolate ice cream, it's a pure dark chocolate lover's ice cream that I've been working on, and I'm really proud of it."

The pastries menu will expand from brownies and cookies to tarts, cakes, and other treats. From previous collaborations with brands, including local brewery J. Wakefield Brewing and out-of-state breweries, came the idea to serve beer on tap but with a twist.

"We'll be able to serve on-tap beer made with our chocolate from a beer company," says Quijano. "We'll also have pairings of beer and wine with our chocolates, which people really love."
In the previous space, Quijano attempted to host chocolate classes, but with the limited space, the initiative was ultimately put on pause. Now, the factory will not only serve as her stage to expand on the original class idea, but guests can also experience full tours and a hands-on and more insightful experience while making their own bars and truffles at the factory.

For those who would rather learn by watching, the space is designed with big glass partitions between the café and the kitchen, allowing all guests to take a peek into the chocolate-making process.

While there is no set opening date yet, Quijano hopes to open to the public at the end of May.

"We're excited to expand," says Quijano. "We will have more products available to people who come into our store but also more experiences as well."

Exquisito Chocolates. Currently open at 2606 SW Eighth St., Miami, soon to be open at 1900 SW Eighth St., Miami, across from Sanguich. Coming end of May 2024. exquisitochocolates.com.