Bean to Business
We started a chocolate factory with zero experience in chocolate.
Bean to Business is a weekly show from the team at Hill Country Chocolate in Fredericksburg, Texas. We make bean-to-bar chocolate—starting with raw cacao beans and turning them into finished bars right here in our production facility.
Every week, we pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a small manufacturing business. The wins. The mistakes. The stuff nobody warns you about.
We talk about sourcing ingredients from around the world, working with Italian production equipment, building a brand in a tourist town, and figuring it out as we go. Sometimes we bring in guests. Sometimes we just answer your questions.
If you're running a small business, thinking about starting one, or just curious what happens inside a craft food operation, this show is for you.
New episodes drop weekly.
Bean to Business
Fredericksburg Like a Local: Best Things to Do & See (Insider Tips!)
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What should you do in Fredericksburg? When's the best time to visit? Where can you eat without a reservation?
We get asked these questions constantly at the chocolate factory. So in this episode, Dan and Melanie finally answer them—with nearly 30 years of local knowledge between them.
In this episode, we cover: When to visit to avoid crowds (hint: the week after school starts). Restaurants where you can walk in without a reservation. Hidden gems most visitors miss, like Leroy's and the airport diner. Why you shouldn't try to hit 20 wineries in one day. Unique places to stay, from capsule hotels to RV parks near Luckenbach. Experiences beyond wine—cooking classes, barbecue classes, glass blowing, and more.
Whether you're planning a couples trip, bringing kids, or just trying to figure out when peach season actually is, this episode gives you the unfiltered local perspective.
Bean to Business is the podcast where Dan and Melanie spill the beans on running Hill Country Chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate factory in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Check out our chocolate factory and book and experience or class at hillcountrychocolate.com
