UBS Monocle
From bean to bar and beyond
Carolina Quijano
Founder, Exquisito Chocolates
Former Wall Street consultant Carolina Quijano happened upon a life-changing hot chocolate during a business trip to France. It reminded her of the Colombian beverage that she grew up drinking. “It had less sugar and a strong taste of cacao that was very pure,” she says. “I became obsessed with recreating the recipe and bringing it back to the US.”
Returning home to New York, Quijano realised that if she wanted hot chocolate of that same high quality, she would have to make it herself. So she quit her job, relocated to Miami and founded Exquisito Chocolates in 2014.
At the brand’s shop in the Little Havana district, Quijano and her team craft Exquisito’s beloved hot chocolate and single-origin chocolate bars. “We make everything in-house,” she says. “We roast the cacao from different farms around the world and we have full control over the entire process.”
Simple by design, Quijano’s bars are made with cacao and unrefined cane sugar to highlight the chocolate’s terroir. Everything is done by hand, which adds more than a week to the regular chocolate-making process. “We do things most chocolatiers wouldn’t spend time doing,” she says.
Some of Exquisito’s bars pay homage to Little Havana. “I was drawn to Miami because of its Latin vibrancy and felt there was an opportunity to do something unique here,” says Quijano. “It’s always felt like home.”
Exquisito recently expanded into a larger factory with a glass partition between its café and kitchen, so that visitors can watch the making process. “We’re excited for this space, which will allow us to continue sharing our craft with people in Miami,” she adds.
Taste Exquisito Chocolates’ bean-to-bar creations at its new café and shop at 1920 SW 8th Street, Miami 33135. exquisitochocolates.com
