The Chocolate Life: Jeffray Gardner and Marsatta Chocolates finally find a home
Jeffray Gardner of Marsatta Chocolates. Photos You probably wouldn’t think of running a small gourmet chocolate company as a subject for high drama, but the experience of Jeffray Gardner of Marsatta Chocolates suggests otherwise. In the past three years he has gone through some extraordinary experiences while moving his business from Redondo Beach to Torrance. The business was only able to survive because of dedicated chocolate lovers who cheered him on and tracked him down to farmer’s markets to buy the fresh chocolate they loved. It all seemed much easier three years ago, when Gardner spotted an empty flower store by the corner of Anza and Del Amo. Gardner had been considering a move for a while because of a problem with his previous location. “When I had a factory in a little industrial area in Redondo I had people knocking on my door all the time trying to buy chocolate, but I was just set up for wholesale operations and couldn’t sell to them,” he said. “I knew that I needed a retail component, and the challenge was how big I could do it.” Gardner had to move faster than expected after a bizarre argument with his landlord, who objected to his children practicing hockey in the…
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