The Story of Chicago Chocolate Rebellion

Your Finest Chocolate Served Next Door!

Chicago Chocolate Rebellion (CCR) is more than a chocolate company — it’s a worker-owned cooperative based in North Lawndale that blends bold, artisanal flavors with a commitment to reclaiming the narrative around chocolate. Every confection we make is handcrafted from scratch, using high-quality ingredients, while honoring the global lineage of cocoa farmers across the diaspora — from the Ivory Coast to Trinidad to Uganda. Our couverture is procured directly from Black growers and producers connected to the international Chocolate Rebellion network, ensuring ethical trade, cultural storytelling, and shared prosperity.

What makes us unique is our model of radical ownership: the very people who create the chocolate are also the owners. Profits are shared equitably, and our cooperative builds a pathway to entrepreneurship for local residents. CCR was incubated by LCDC Co-op program, an initiative of Lawndale Christian Development Corporation that organizes residents to build cooperative businesses as a way of reclaiming local economic power.Chicago Chocolate Rebellion’s is dedicated to building a North Lawndale-grown business that shines a spotlight on the cocoa industry while honoring the deep, rich heritage of African descendants within chocolate. Our purpose goes beyond simply creating artisan chocolate; we are devoted to sharing the legacy of African cocoa farmers, whose cultural influence and resilience have shaped the world of chocolate as we know it today.

Who We Are

Every member of CCR is a North Lawndale resident, many of us from families that have called this community home for generations. We’re from here, we’re of here, and we’re building the future right here. Our kitchen is an extension of the same kitchens where some of us learned to cook at the elbows of our parents and grandparents in North Lawndale homes.

We’re neighbors and parents getting our first experience as business owners. All of us are united by a love for chocolate and a belief in what collective ownership can do for our neighborhood. When people buy our chocolate, they’re not just getting bold flavors — they’re supporting families, honoring heritage, and investing in the rebirth of a community too often defined by disinvestment.
‍
Beyond delicious treats, jobs, and ownership, CCR is about bringing lifestyle equity to North Lawndale — creating spaces of joy, beauty, and celebration that our community has long been denied. Through chocolate, we reclaim pleasure as a form of justice, reminding our neighbors that we deserve not only survival, but sweetness.

Every Flavor is a Statement

Whether it’s peanut chocolate bark- or citrus-infused chocolate, or limited-edition “rebellion batches” that honor moments and movements, our products are designed to be as bold and connective as they are delicious. For us, chocolate is not just dessert — it’s a declaration!