The sweet aroma of chocolate greets guests as they walk through the door. Mounds of it line the counters while chocolate-filled gift sets decorate the walls. Children run around excited and giggling after they take bites of tasty treats. Behind this sweet goodness isn’t Mr. Wonka, but rather Carina Manz. A chocolate lover and the assistant retail manager for locally-owned Theo Chocolate, Manz is ready to begin the first tour of the day.

Founded in 2005 by the CEO Joseph Whinney, Theo is the first roaster of fair trade certified cocoa beans in the United States. Standing behind the idea to give cocoa farmers a “fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” the young company ensures that a percentage of each bar’s profit goes directly to help the local farm community from which the beans originated.

To shed some light on what actually goes on between bean and bar, Theo decided to open their factory to the public. Compared to numerous companies who keep the details of their operations secret, Director of Operations Laura Johnson wanted the public to know that Theo is transparent — they have nothing to hide and stand behind their products.

Varieties of age groups pass through the factory doors everyday. Some Seattle locals, like Joleen Burgess, have taken the tour numerous times. Many tourists and locals take the tour because someone recommends it, and in turn they have recommended the tour to others.

Burgess’ friend and fellow chocolate-lover, Marlene Muller, took the tour due to her friend’s recommendation in addition to several other reasons.

“I wanted to see what they turned [the old Red Hook brewery] into,” said Muller, a third-grade teacher.

After checking in at the retail store, each member of the tour group is given a hairnet and a brief history of the company complete with pictures, cocoa beans and a hefty amount of yummy chocolate samples from their two distinct collections.

“This is not one of those tours where you get a sliver,” Muller said.

Consisting of five refined dark chocolate bars whose cocoa content ranges from 65 to 91 percent, the Theo 3-ounce Origin Bar line is vegan and soy-free. Rich in antioxidants, sugar is the only added ingredient leaving the customer with a full-chocolate experience.

Each bar has a different texture and taste based on the region the bean came from. Growing on the trunk of the Cacao tree, the fruit is the size of a football and is crossbred to produce an array of flavors.

Hailing from the island of Madagascar, the Theo Madagascar Dark Chocolate Bar is Whinney’s favorite. Tasting more fruity and sweet than most dark chocolates, the bar is 65 percent cocoa and 35 percent sugar.

In contrast, the 84 percent cocoa Theo Ghana Dark Chocolate Bar has a creamy consistency and produces a strong chocolate flavor when chewed slowly.

Manz pointed out that Theo was one out of only fourteen companies that produced their chocolate from cocoa beans.

“Many other companies are chocolate melters,” said Manz. “They buy large amounts of bulk chocolate to melt and add their ingredients to the mix.”

While most companies use soy lecithin to change their product’s viscosity, Theo takes the high-quality route and uses cocoa butter.

An environmentally-friendly company from its production to its lighting, Theo strives to utilize every aspect of the bean. The bean husks are used as garden mulch and are priced at $10 per 25-pound bag. During the chocolate-making process, when the chocolate solids are separated from the butter, the remaining cocoa butter is sold off for cosmetic uses.

Staying true to their artisan roots, their factory contains numerous processing machines from Europe. Large, loud and brightly colored, these machines help enhance the quality and flavor of the chocolates.

A giant German roaster from 1936 grinds the cocoa nibs into paste, while the conche, which reduces acid through circulation and oxidation, hails from the 1970s.

Originating from the Latin name of the Cacao tree, Theobroma Cocoa — meaning “food of the gods” — Theo is also the sole roster of organic cocoa beans. Each ingredient added to the chocolate mixture is also an organic product.

Theo’s other collection is the 3400 Phinney Chocolate Factory 2-ounce Flavored Milk and Dark Chocolate Bars. Named after the address of the factory, this line’s chocolate is produced in Ecuador, Panama and the Dominican Republic.

Tasting like a blend of pumpkin spice and black tea, the milk chocolate Chai was a tour favorite. The Coconut Curry tastes sweet at first but has a tangy curry spice kick at the end.

Voted the overall favorite milk chocolate bar in an online Web poll, was the new Hazelnut Crunch. Sweet, creamy and laden with crunchy hazelnut brittle, people always get a sample or two.

Vegan-friendly Fig, Fennel and Almond are also new additions to the dark chocolate collection. Currently voted the favorite dark chocolate, the bar has a slightly dry aftertaste.

Supporting Fair Trade coffee by using locally roasted coffee beans in the Coffee bar, the bar is Vegan-friendly and perfect for coffee and chocolate lovers with a desire for strong taste.

Since these bars lack any preservatives and are made with organic products they don’t have a long shelf life. Milk chocolate has a shelf life of 12 months while its dark counterpart has 18 months.

Even more delicate, with a shelf life of 10 days, are the Theo confections. Including coffee, mint, peanut butter and jelly and chipotle spice, these confections allow a bit more creativity in the kitchen.

Perfect for weddings or banquets, these handcrafted pralines and ganache are made from fresh local ingredients.

Prepared by blending chocolate with hot cream and butter and then covering with a dark chocolate outer shell, the ganache is then decorated and distributed to only local Seattle stores. The short shelf life doesn’t allow for the confections to be shipped to farther locations.

Theo Chocolate allows chocolate lovers to connect and learn about how chocolate is made, but best of all, it allows the child in us to live out our Willy Wonka dreams.