{"id":94007,"date":"2025-05-13T09:18:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T13:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/?post_type=rbc_my_money_matter&#038;p=94007"},"modified":"2025-05-22T11:08:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T15:08:49","slug":"crafting-chocolate-cultivating-community-how-cocoa-bistro-has-become-a-local-treasure","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/business\/get-inspired\/business-success-stories\/crafting-chocolate-cultivating-community-how-cocoa-bistro-has-become-a-local-treasure\/","title":{"rendered":"Crafting Chocolate, Cultivating Community: How Cocoa Bistro Has Become a Local Treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-block drop-shadow pos-rel top-line-blue block-wpr\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-block-inner-block block-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tldr\">TLDR<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>A measured approach to entrepreneurship can pay off for aspiring business owners looking for stability while they get started<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Word-of-mouth is a powerful ally, especially in smaller communities that are proud to support local business<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Transparency, creativity and strong relationships can help you overcome even the toughest obstacles<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>If you love what you do, your passion will keep you going during challenging times<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<p>Audrey Brown, an avid foodie and culinary traveler, has always loved exploring different cultures through food. When she suffered a small but significant stroke 12 years ago \u2013 and had to rethink her career in healthcare \u2013 she decided it was time to nurture her passion for food and ethnic cuisine. Intrigued by the versatility and decadence of chocolate, she founded&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cocoabistro.ca\/\" data-dig-id=\"LP-94007-da0eaef9\" data-dig-category=\"LP\" data-dig-action=\"link click\" data-dig-label=\"Cocoa Bistro\" class=\"rbc-link-format\">Cocoa Bistro<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 a Kingston, Ontario gem that has been serving up small luxuries for over a decade. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-careful-leap-into-business\">A careful leap into business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown once loved her work as a speech pathologist. But as she explains in a recent conversation, her stroke fundamentally changed her. \u201cIt became so that I was not being true to myself to stay in that career. While I wasn\u2019t sure about retiring at 50, the excitement started brewing when I began making chocolate. It wasn\u2019t easy to leave, but it felt right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many new business owners, Brown took a measured approach to entrepreneurship. For two years she stayed on in her healthcare role while launching Cocoa Bistro on the side. \u201cIt was a matter of being careful but strategic,\u201d she says, explaining that she wanted to continue earning an income while learning about the business and building her skills. She outfitted her basement with professional equipment, conducted market research, and took online courses to master the basics of chocolate-making. In-person workshops in Montreal further opened her eyes. \u201cOnce I saw how versatile chocolate was \u2013 how you can temper it, blend flavours, and really craft something \u2013 I realized this could be a full-blown career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She spent three years working out of her home \u2013 expanding her basement operations to her main floor \u2013 before finding a storefront in Kingston\u2019s west end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"1024\" width=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/05\/IMG_3212_f66b10e3-f70a-4e1b-957b-75207417f04c_draft_1-rotated-e1747142243753.jpeg?quality=80&amp;w=675\" alt=\"Cocoa Bistro Chocolates\" class=\"wp-image-94012\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Audrey Brown, CocoaBistro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-journey-of-organic-growth\">A journey of organic growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In a town the size of Kingston, word of mouth may be the most powerful marketing tool around. As she began building Cocoa Bistro, Brown ran sales at the hospital where she worked and went to every market, festival and church basement function she could find. Then word got out to Queen\u2019s University, some local law firms and Tourism Kingston \u2013 and that\u2019s when Cocoa Bistro took off. \u201cBeing discovered by Tourism Kingston was one of the seminal moments in my business. They are now one of my biggest customers,\u201d Brown shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the popularity of Cocoa Bistro grew, so did Brown\u2019s team. She employs two full-time staff and a part-time employee, along with casual students. \u201cThey are the production team right now. I have moved myself into the front to be the greeter, the seller and the face of the business,\u201d says Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown also works with an external digital team that takes care of her website and social media account. \u201cI was doing social media on my own, but it was too much. The team has done a terrific job, getting my message out there and getting people talking,\u201d she says. Having received a grant from the Kingston Economic Development Group for digital enablement, she is happy to outsource work that doesn\u2019t closely align with her skill set.&nbsp; \u201cI\u2019m so happy to have them on board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-facing-a-bittersweet-reality\">Facing a bittersweet reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While business owners across the globe have faced rising prices and supply constraints in recent years, the chocolate industry has been hit especially hard.&nbsp; While there are a few factors at play, climate change is the biggest threat to Brown\u2019s business today. \u201cThe chocolate plantations where our cocoa is grown are facing drought and disease. Most of the trees are within 20 degrees of the equator and the effects of global warming are making it difficult for farmers to get the cocoa out,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, large chocolate processors are buying up and warehousing cocoa, putting further strain on supply. The result is a dramatic increase in Brown\u2019s costs. \u201cThey\u2019ve doubled in the past year alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>True to form, Brown is being careful and strategic in her approach to this challenge. She has been upfront with her customers and client base, going live on Instagram to let them know what is going on and why her prices are up. She is also looking at alternative offerings to make her customers happy. \u201cWe will never change the quality of our chocolate. But we are diversifying our product line, adding things like brittles, marshmallows and confectionary products that still feature chocolate in some way.\u201d Her customers have been receptive and supportive. \u201cThe feedback I get is, \u2018please don\u2019t stop what you\u2019re doing. We still want quality chocolate, and we will pay more.\u2019 It makes me feel good, but it\u2019s still a burden to have to raise my prices,\u201d Brown says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During tougher times, Brown is grateful for her long-standing relationship with RBC. She\u2019s had her business banking and credit card with the bank from day one, and her Operating Line of Credit provides stability when business slows. \u201cIt\u2019s a relief to have that to fall back on \u2013 especially in the summer when things quiet down,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-heart-of-the-community\">The heart of the community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown\u2019s openness is a hallmark of her relationship with the Kingston community \u2013 a place that deeply values its local businesses. During COVID, for instance, Brown saw her biggest net increase in sales. \u201cI was running the shop myself and we offered free delivery \u2013 my husband, who was not able to work at that time, was running 20 deliveries a day.\u201d At a time when people wanted happiness, Cocoa Bistro stepped up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This sense of community and connection has remained. Today, Brown partners with other businesses, conducts workshops, supports local charity initiatives and speaks at local events. In fact, she was recently approached by an aspiring entrepreneur who decided to take the leap after hearing Brown\u2019s story. \u201cIt gives me goosebumps \u2013 I was mentored by people along the way, and now I\u2019m a mentor,\u201d says Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-built-on-passion-sustained-by-purpose\">Built on passion, sustained by purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown didn\u2019t have any business experience before she founded Cocoa Bistro. It was a passion project that grew \u2013 and it\u2019s this passion that continues to carry her through. \u201cI love educating people about quality chocolate, supporting farmers around the world and working with a team that shares my passion,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When other aspiring entrepreneurs ask her for advice, this is what she learns into. \u201cI tell them, you have to love it. If making money is the main purpose, it will be harder to keep the passion alive when times get tough.&nbsp; Keep networking, show your passion, and the money will come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, as Audrey Brown navigates a complex chapter in her business journey, her passion and her bond with the Kingston community will be her greatest strengths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":94028,"parent":57335,"menu_order":0,"template":"wp-custom-template-optimizely-mmm","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[157],"rbc_content_type":[31],"rbc_audience":[110],"rbc_lob_group":[35],"rbc_difficulty_level":[33],"rbc_mmm_category":[305,323,388,325,326,390,381],"class_list":["post-94007","rbc_my_money_matter","type-rbc_my_money_matter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-entrepreneur","rbc_content_type-article","rbc_audience-business-owners","rbc_lob_group-business","rbc_difficulty_level-beginner","rbc_mmm_category-business","rbc_mmm_category-business-stages","rbc_mmm_category-business-success-stories","rbc_mmm_category-get-inspired","rbc_mmm_category-right-sized-business-advice","rbc_mmm_category-small-business","rbc_mmm_category-start-a-business"],"acf":{"contently_publication_id":"","custom_author":"Royal 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