Ghirardelli
Last verified: April 2026
Read our full verification: Is Ghirardelli Made in USA?Verification Summary
American Score
Manufacturing Location
San Leandro, CA
Headquarters
San Leandro, CA
Founded
1852
Products Verified
35 products
Evidence Breakdown
Factory Location Specificity
Specific factory city identified
Website Claim
Brand website explicitly claims Made in USA
Manufacturing History
20+ years of USA manufacturing
Known Overseas Production
No known overseas production
Verification Notes
All chocolate products manufactured in San Leandro, CA since 1852. Oldest chocolate company in continuous operation in the USA. Factory produces squares, bars, baking products, cocoa, sauces, and mixes.
Last verified: April 2026
Ghirardelli has been manufacturing products in San Leandro, CA since 1852. We carry 35 verified American-made Ghirardelli products.
Heritage & History
Domenico 'Domingo' Ghirardelli arrived in San Francisco during the Gold Rush of 1849, initially selling supplies to miners before turning his attention to chocolate. In 1852, he established what would become the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, making it the oldest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer in the United States. The company's original factory on Jackson Street in San Francisco grew into the iconic Ghirardelli Square complex on the city's waterfront, which today serves as a historic landmark and tourist destination.
Ghirardelli pioneered several innovations in American chocolate making. In 1865, the company developed a process for making ground chocolate by hanging bags of chocolate liquor and pressing out the cocoa butter, creating a drier, more intense chocolate powder. This technique became the foundation for the brand's signature rich flavor profile. The company was acquired by Golden Grain Macaroni Company in 1963, then by Quaker Oats, before Swiss chocolate giant Lindt & Sprüngli purchased Ghirardelli in 1998. Throughout these ownership changes, the commitment to California manufacturing has remained constant.
Made in San Leandro, California
Ghirardelli's manufacturing operations are centered at their facility in San Leandro, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The plant produces the full range of Ghirardelli products — chocolate squares in dozens of flavors, premium baking chips, unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate bars, brownie mixes, hot cocoa mixes, and the professional-grade chocolate sauces used by baristas and pastry chefs nationwide.
The San Leandro facility controls the entire chocolate-making process from bean roasting through final packaging. Ghirardelli sources cacao beans from carefully selected farms and processes them using proprietary roasting and conching techniques that have been refined over more than 170 years. The company's signature 'slow-melt' chocolate squares — individually wrapped confections that have become a defining American premium chocolate format — are produced entirely at the California facility, as are their baking products that have made Ghirardelli a staple in American home kitchens.
Quick Picks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ghirardelli made in the USA?
Yes. Ghirardelli manufactures 35 verified products in San Leandro, CA. Ghirardelli has been crafting premium chocolate in California since 1852, making it the oldest continuously operating chocolate company in the United States, with all products manufactured at their facility in San Leandro, California.
Where is Ghirardelli manufactured?
Ghirardelli is headquartered in San Leandro, CA. Manufacturing takes place in San Leandro, CA.
What Ghirardelli products can I buy?
We carry 35 verified Ghirardelli products across Food & Beverages. Every listing links directly to Amazon with verified American manufacturing.
When was Ghirardelli founded?
Ghirardelli was founded in 1852. Ghirardelli has been crafting premium chocolate in California since 1852, making it the oldest continuously operating chocolate company in the United States, with all products manufactured at their facility in San Leandro, California.
Does Ghirardelli ship from Amazon?
Yes, all Ghirardelli products listed here are available on Amazon with free shipping for Prime members.