Our Story
What does a chicken roaster and two squirrels fighting have to do with making award-winning chocolate? Everything.
The Moment Everything Changed
Efren was a coffee farmer in Honduras. As the specialty coffee world shifted toward high-altitude farms, no one was buying his beans. Frustrated and defeated, he sat under a tree.
Then something hit him in the head.
Two squirrels were chasing each other above, knocking down large, strange pods. That moment brought him back to his childhood, when his grandmother would make hot chocolate from cacao.
The Hustle
With nothing but determination, Efren began his journey to master the ancient art of chocolate making.
Learning Everything from Scratch
Efren taught himself everything about chocolate. But he had no roaster—until someone let him borrow a rotisserie chicken machine. He tempered chocolate at two or three in the morning, the only time cool enough in Honduras.
David vs. Goliath
He sent his chocolate to buyers and award panels. Efren began winning gold, beating global brands with labs, teams, and million-dollar equipment. Efren had none of that. Just hustle.
Building Bridges
Eventually, Efren opened his own chocolate shop: Atucún. He kept reaching out internationally. Only one person in the US answered. Together, they expanded Atucún to the United States.
Chocolate Made the Ancient Way
"Today, you can taste Efren's story. Chocolate made the ancient way. Chocolate isn't candy. It's food. And we start treating it that way."—The Atucún Philosophy
From Honduras to Your Table
Every cacao bean we use is still grown and processed in Honduras, where Efren's journey began under that tree. From Comayagua to Grand Rapids, from a borrowed chicken roaster to international awards.
When you taste our chocolate, you're not just tasting cocoa and sugar. You're tasting determination. You're tasting the moment two squirrels changed everything. You're tasting Efren's hustle.
This is chocolate made the ancient way. This is food, not candy. This is Atucún.
Experience Authentic Heritage Cacao
Every bar tells a story of heritage, terroir, and transformation—made from rare trinitario and criollo varieties, ethically sourced from farm to final form.
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