Domingo Ghirardelli was born in 1817 and grew up in Rapallo, Italy. His father imported exotic foods and spices and the home had daily conversations of far-off places such as Ceylon, Sumatra, and Peru. Domingo thought the world was full of exciting opportunities for those with imagination and courage to seek them. When he was 19 years old and a newlywed, he sailed to South America.
He first went to Uruguay and worked in a coffee and chocolate establishment. Then on to Lima, Peru, and sadly, his wife died. In time he remarried. He moved into a small building on Mercadero Street next door to a U.S. cabinetmaker and piano-builder named James Lick.
The two young men heard of the discoveries and opportunities in North America. Especially in the California Territory called Yerba Buena or as it became known, San Francisco. Lick was a bachelor and left for San Francisco and arrived January 11, 1848.
Just 13 days later gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. He wrote Ghirardelli saying that “This is a place of opportunity and I would suggest that you bring yourself and some of your chocolates up here. I have sold the 600 pounds that you gave me and I feel there will be a great demand for it.”
Ghirardelli sailed into San Francisco Bay February 24, 1849. He first tried his luck in the gold mines, but soon realized he wasn’t a miner. He opened up a store in Stockton, Calif. and sold supplies to the miners. He opened a store and built a hotel in San Francisco. The exhausted miners wanted luxuries, so he stocked coffee, dried fruits, spices and foreign cognacs, wines and liquours. He carried chocolate and chocolate candies, some imported, and some manufactured in his own shop.
Fires came to San Francisco and May 3, 1851 all of Ghirardelli’s businesses were wiped out. He swiftly recovered from his losses and within a year opened a coffeehouse and formed a new confectionery company. With his businesses well established, he brought his family to San Francisco. In time there would be seven children.
One afternoon in 1865 a worker put a bag of ground cocoa beans to hang from a hook overnight. By morning a pool of cocoa butter had collected on the floor. The ground chocolate left in the bag was almost free of fat creating a dryer powder that combined with liquids was very smooth. This became the basis for the Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa of Ghirardelli. Sales flourished .
The Depression hit and in 1870 Ghirardelli was forced into bankruptcy. He kept going, rebuilding the company, and paying off every cent of debt. In 1893 he bought the Woolen Mill Building in the Waterfront District. New buildings were added and the iconic sign of Ghirardelli Square was erected in 1942.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company’s block of beautiful buildings were designed in the French Chateau Blois style. San Francisco declared Ghirardelli Square an official city landmark in 1965. The open buildings have an impressive total of 170,000 square feet.
Ghirardelli retired in 1892 and returned to Rapallo, Italy where he died January 17, 1894. His sons continued to run the business which is now a division of Lindt & Sprungli.