Durci Chocolate: A Bean to Bar Journey

FROM THE JUNGLES OF SOUTH AMERICA TO A STOREFRONT IN LEBANON, TENNESSEE COMES DURĆI CHOCOLATE 

In Lebanon, in a rather nondescript strip center, the best chocolate you’ve never had awaits. Owners and chocolate makers Cassandra and Eric Durtschi have traveled the world in search of cacao beans, which led them to growers deep in jungles and on small family farms. It’s these relationships that shape their handmade chocolate. 

Origin Story: Crio Bru Brewed Cacao Drink 

So, how did the son of a plant manager for Russell Stover become a world-class chocolatier? Eric, a lover of all chocolate, was a star athlete as a youngster. Interested in all things health, he became a chiropractor and nutritionist, as well as a bit of a mad scientist. In an attempt to isolate the good things in cacao beans to create a healthier product without the sugar, fat and additives in most grocery store chocolate, he arrived at Crio Bru, a roasted, ground cacao–based alternative to coffee, pronounced “cree-o brew.” After a 2014 appearance on Shark Tank and significant growth in retail channels, Eric eventually sold the beverage brand, which is still available in major retailers. 

The Second Chapter: The Chocolate Business 

In the process of sourcing cacao beans, Eric and Cassandra began making specialty small-batch chocolate under the Durći brand. Through relationships with farmers, they sourced product directly. Through a mentorship with award-winning chocolate maker Art Pollard of Amano Chocolate, Eric learned to marry tradition with technology, including processing beans in a vintage grinder. After moving their wholesale-focused business from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Santa Barbara, Calif., the native Tennesseans finally returned to their home state, bringing the next generation of Durtchis into the next chapter of bean-to-bar entrepreneurship. Durći Chocolate opened in Lebanon in 2024, and the attached café debuted a few months later in 2025.

The whole family pitches in, with younger Durtschis involved in aspects of business including baking, roasting, molding bars, developing recipes, creating social media and building wholesale accounts. 

The Present: The Store and Café 

Durći specializes in single-origin chocolate that reflects the terroir of the beans. This chocolate is deep, nuanced and pure, with a layering of flavors and aromas as intricate as wine. Samples of chocolate bars from Peru, Guatemala and Venezuela introduce visitors to the global variety. 

Meanwhile, Chef Kris Evans infuses the café’s lunch menu with chocolate-tinged innovations like cocoa-seasoned chicken breasts, which appear in flatbreads, salads and sandwiches, as well as chocolate barbecue ranch dressing. Chocolate chicken mole and cocoa carnitas have also made cameos on the menu. But their handcrafted chocolates and desserts are the focus, with indulgences such as chocolate-covered raisins with hand-dipped jumbo yellow dried grapes. We left with salted buttermilk caramels and a box of rich, fudgy brownies—some of the best we’ve ever had. 

“We are bean-to-bar craft chocolate makers who have traveled the world so we can offer you distinctive chocolate products.” —Cassandra and Eric Durtschi 

This chocolate is deep and nuanced and pure, with flavor notes and aromas similar to wine (with all its intricacies), and meant to be savored. They offer chocolate classes including Build Your Own Bar and Chocolate Tasting 101. We left with a box of the brownies, some of the best we’ve had, fudgey and rich, and the Salted Buttermilk Caramels.

You can visit their store, buy chocolate, take a class or have lunch. You can also order chocolate online.

Durci Chocolate
1221 South Hartmann Dr.
Lebanon, TN 37090
durcichocolate.com