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Zak's Chocolate News & Blog

A Look Inside a Local Valley Chocolate Shop

Check out our expansion space in this video from AZTV7 Arizona Daily Mix with Brad Perry

Click the heading above to get to the video link

Tuesday, April 18, 2023/Author: Jim/Number of views (68)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Desert Dish Video: Zak’s Chocolate - An Artisan Chocolate Shop

A short video of our chocolate story, filmed by a James Beard Award Winning videographer

Like coffee and wine, each cocoa bean comes from a unique terroir that impacts its flavor. Zak's Chocolate is giving patrons a taste of true chocolate.

Wednesday, December 26, 2018/Author: Jim/Number of views (2813)/Comments (0)/
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A Series of Behind-the-Scenes Videos

Welcome into our world of chocolate!

We took Cory McCloskey behind the scenes of our (slightly expanded) micro chocolate factory this past summer.

Click the Heading above to see the 5 short video segments shot live on International Chocolate Day, July 7, 2022 (hence the super high temps on Cory's weather charts!).

For a deeper dive into our process, including how we press and use cocoa butter, you can check out the link for a 30 minute video by

our friends at Foodies Who Fitness.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022/Author: Jim/Number of views (292)/Comments (0)/
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Cacao Magic in 4 short videos from the Tropics

Farming, Fermentation, Drying, Quality Control

These videos are a great introduction to all the magic and really, really hard work done by so many amazing people in the tropics.

Learn what has to happen before cocoa beans arrive at Zak's so we can turn them into chocolate for you to enjoy.

These awesome, short videos were produced by our primary partner in transparent trade, Uncommon Cacao

Friday, March 12, 2021/Author: Jim/Number of views (816)/Comments (0)/
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A 59 Second Video

How we make our chocolate

Friday, March 5, 2021/Author: Jim/Number of views (900)/Comments (0)/
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Made in Arizona: Zak's Chocolate started as hobby

Click above to see our story

           Zak's Chocolate featured on the Fox10 Made in Arizona series.

Monday, May 18, 2020/Author: Jim/Number of views (1257)/Comments (0)/
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Arizona Daily Mix TV Segment

Hosted by the iconic Pat McMahon

We had a blast sharing an overview of what is unique about Zak's Chocolate

with AZ Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame Member, Pat McMahon

 

Click HERE to see the segment, which also shows some of our local wine &

spirits friends from Pillsbury Wine, Carlson Creek Wine and Adventurous Stills distillery.

We love pairing our chocolates with these amazing Arizona products

Monday, July 15, 2019/Author: Jim/Number of views (1662)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Zak's Chocolate Featured on Golf Channel

Golf Advisor Round Trip program features Scottsdale Experiences

We are excited to finally be able to share these two short, behind-the-scenes videos

with you from a Golf Chanel feature that originally aired in the Fall of 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click Image above to view Part 1                          Click Image above to view Part 2

Monday, July 15, 2019/Author: Jim/Number of views (1557)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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SciGirls PBS show

Zak's supports episode shot in Arizona

We are proud to have been able to support an episode of SciGirls fearuring 4 Arizona girls and their mentor. 

In this episode, Valeria and her friends take action in their Arizona community. These SciGirls partner with an industrial engineer to design a streamlined service plan for a food bank, and help high school students in need. They spent a day at Zak's examining how we have changed and improved some of our processes since we began making chocolate as a hobby at home.

SciGirls is an Emmy award-winning PBS Kids television show, website, and educational outreach program that draws on cutting-edge research about what engages girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning and careers.

Check out the episode by clicking here

Or, Click here for a 2-minute section shot in our factory

Wednesday, May 16, 2018/Author: Jim/Number of views (1940)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Zak's Featured on Fox10 News Segment 2

Corey's Corner Part 2

 

 

 The second live segment features our retail shop in front of our production area.

 Click here for Part 2 of the live segment on Fox10 News

 

Sunday, August 14, 2016/Author: Jim/Number of views (2904)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Zak's Featured on Fox10 News Segment 1

Corey's Corner Segment 1

  

 

 

 Check out this great live piece from Fox10 News/Corey's Corner. A behind the scenes look at how we make Zak's Chocolate...click here

Sunday, August 14, 2016/Author: Jim/Number of views (2601)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Zak's Chocolate Featured in Phoenix Magazine

Chocolate Reign

 

“We pay a lot more for the beans, but there are fine flavors and there’s a relationship and sustainability factor,” says Jim Elitzak, co-owner with wife Maureen of Zak’s Chocolate in Scottsdale.

Click here for cool video of our chocolate making process

{Click Heading above to read full Blog entry}

 

Monday, July 25, 2016/Author: Jim/Number of views (3091)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Phoenix New Times "Project Phoenix" Issue features Zak's Chocolate

So, do they ever eat mass-produced chocolate from the convenience store? Read story for answer

Chocolate-making is a lost art, Jim Elitzak says. It's also a messy one. When his wife, Maureen, with whom he co-owns Zak's Chocolate in Scottsdale, announced that she was going to start making her own chocolate, grinding beans by hand and using hair dryers to blow cocoa shells, he balked.

"I said, 'I will never do that. No, thank you,'" he remembers. Jim since has changed his mind: The couple opened Zak's Chocolate in a small Scottsdale storefront last spring. There, they create organic single-origin chocolate bars and sweets made from their own bean-to-bar chocolate. Everything is done by hand: the roasting, the separating, the melting. Even the paper each chocolate bar comes wrapped in is handmade. The business began as a hobby...click here for full article

Click here for accompanying video of our chocolate making process

 

Monday, July 25, 2016/Author: Jim/Number of views (2726)/Comments (0)/
Categories: In the NewsVideos
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Imagine if there was only one kind of wine grape

Boring, right? Same goes for chocolate!

Imagine if we were led to believe there was only one kind of wine grape. Boring, right? Grab your favorite Zak's Chocolate bar & check out this great video explaining what real #craftchocolate is about. 

 

Friday, August 14, 2015/Author: Jim/Number of views (3169)/Comments (0)/
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