## How a Text to a Friend Landed Mindo Chocolate in Kerrytown
Barbara Wilson grew up in Ann Arbor before her path eventually took her to Mindo, Ecuador, with her husband, José Meza. The two opened an internet café there, where customers started asking for chocolate. They soon realized that despite cacao growing nearby, little of it was being used to make artisanal chocolate locally. So they started making their own.
That experiment eventually made its way back to Michigan. In 2009, Wilson and Meza founded Mindo Chocolate Makers out of their Dexter home. The business grew to more than 300 wholesale customers, with its chocolate landing at places like Zingerman’s, Plum Market, and Argus Farm Stop before Mindo ever had an Ann Arbor storefront of its own.
For years, Wilson texted her friend Lisa McDonald, owner of TeaHaus, asking if she knew of any available space in Kerrytown. Then the pandemic changed things. TeaHaus stopped café table service, and McDonald eventually asked Wilson if she wanted the space next door. After years of texts, Mindo finally had its Kerrytown spot.
Mindo opened at 206 N. Fourth Ave. in late 2021, right next to TeaHaus.
The shop specializes in bean-to-bar chocolate made with heirloom Nacional cacao sourced from family-owned farms in Ecuador. Try the 67% Sea Salt bar, or the Pure 70% Rustic if you want something with a little more crunch. Both are part of Mindo’s current lineup, alongside flavors like Michigan Blueberry, Rustic Vanilla, and Rustic Cinnamon.
You can find Mindo Chocolate Makers at 206 N. Fourth Ave. in Kerrytown. The shop is open every day from 8am to 7pm.
Want to do more than eat the chocolate? Mindo also hosts tastings and chocolate-making classes at its Ann Arbor shop. Classes run 90 minutes, and its truffle and bon-bon classes are currently listed at $60. Class sizes are limited, so book ahead.
Sunday bonus: street parking is free.
With cooler weather on the way, a cup of Mindo hot chocolate is a pretty good excuse for a walk through Kerrytown this week. Grab a bar for yourself, then maybe one for the friend who always seems to know when the right spot opens up.
