We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Ann Lesslie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah Ann, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was about 20 years old, I had taken a workshop which ended with a drinking chocolate ceremony. It was so potent, I felt so good I wanted to share that feeling with other people. I actually called the people doing the workshop to ask them if I had taken any drugs or supplements. Their response: “Just chilis and chocolate”. Well, ok then, if chilis and chocolate can make me feel genuine happiness, I had to share. Upon my return home to Sedona, I told a friend and they said Kelly Johnson, a chocolatier, had just moved to town. That evening, through serendipity he showed up at my house to meet up with my roommate. I asked him if I could apprentice, and there began my journey with chocolate.

One day while working at the shop, I was having bad cramps and as I had been studying herbalism and practicing for a bit, threw the herbs I took for my cycle into the grinder with the chocolate I was making. It was delicious, and even more IT WORKED. I shared it with lady friends, it worked, and I knew I had a business. That was my Moontime Rose bar and the birth of Chocolita. Since then, we have expanded into other botanically-crafted chocolate creations.

What should our readers know about your business?
Unlike most chocolate companies out there, first and foremost, we combine botanicals and chocolate together for a unique chocolate experience. We are organic, plant-based, and sweetened with low-glycemic coconut sugar. We use all eco-friendly packaging and our chocolate bars use compostable sleeves. We are probably most proud of this as a company.

As a business owner, I am most proud of our new retail location in Flagstaff on Steves Blvd and Route 66. It took a lot of planning, hard work, and money to pull that spot together and build out a split manufacturing/retail location from virtually scratch right after the covid wave. I am so proud of it though. We are able to experiment with new flavors and offerings to the community of Flagstaff before offering them online or even wholesale. It is a great test-market location.

Having the retail location really helps with the trials and tribulations of being a health food product with national distribution. We are currently focusing on our west coast health food store sales and expanding from there, but what most people are not aware of is the free fills and the discounts and the samples that go out to new vendors. It can be financially draining to expand your distribution, so having support for that from another part of the business (or investment) is crucial.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to Kelly Johnson at Chocolatree in Sedona. I apprenticed with him for about 10 years. He nurtured the seeds inside of me to grow. He still believes in me and supports me and that is just the coolest.

Website: chocolita.com

Instagram: instagram.com/chocolitachocolate

Facebook: facebook.com/livingchocolita

Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/chocolita-chocolate-cafe-flagstaff

Image Credits
Photos by Nicole Slater Photography

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.