Interview: Matt Caputo, CEO of Caputo’s Market & Deli

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“I do wish more people had an appreciation for what an incredible labor of love goes into craft chocolate, and how this is not an industry for people who want to get rich.”
-Matt Caputo, CEO of Caputo’s Market & Deli

Matt Caputo is a well-known name in the world of chocolate, having started the specialty chocolate portion of his family’s shop back in 2002. Since then, their offerings have continued to expand, and oftentimes they’re the ones turning down new chocolates. Between nearly two decades of craft chocolate sales, and an impressive repertoire of related marketing experience, Matt has become the go-to guy for anyone looking to start a craft chocolate company.

But what is it that gets him to buy into a new bar? From his office in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the U.S., we dive into the role of craft chocolate retailers, the economics of chocolate, and the tipping point that could make or break the craft chocolate industry. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Note that the topic of buying & selling craft chocolate plays heavily in my questions thanks to the podcast episode for which I was interviewing Matt.

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A post shared by Caputo’s Market (@caputosmarket) on Nov 30, 2019 at 7:51am PST

Matt with his wife & kids.

Topics We Cover

his family business & how he got into craft chocolate
the role of chocolate retailers in growing the industry
how they started their famous chocolate tasting workshops
the tipping point for craft chocolate
what fine chocolate could learn from other specialty food industries
keeping consumers connected to the sources of their chocolate and grounded in the realities of what it takes to make a chocolate bar