Tag: Seattle Chocolate

Formerly known as Seattle Chocolate, a local company has reemerged—this time as a bold goddess named Maeve. With an updated look, spotlight on their ethical commitments, and fresh take on storytelling, Maeve is welcoming a new audience while they honor a rich (chocolatey) legacy that began in 1991. 

The packaging has evolved into a vibrant, illustrated wonderland: part psychedelic jungle, part playful dreamscape. New, unique flavors like Mexican Hot Chocolate, 14-Carrot Cake, Rainier Cherry and Cabin S’Mores are crafted locally, in their Tukwila chocolate factory—that you can tour!

We spoke with CEO Jean Thompson and her daughter Ellie Thompson, the powerhouse duo leading this transformation, as they reflect on the origin story, the rebrand, and the spirit of Maeve.

Experience Tukwila: When did the idea to rebrand Seattle Chocolate to Maeve first come about?

Ellie Thompson: I officially joined the company when I graduated from college six years ago, and over time, I started working more closely in marketing. I really loved the product, but I was having a hard time connecting with the branding. I remember going to my mom and saying, “I love Seattle Chocolate so much, and what we’re doing is really amazing, but I don’t love the packaging or the overall look and feel anymore.” We were also struggling to tell our full story on the shelf—how we’re woman-owned, carbon neutral, ethically sourcing our cocoa, donating 10% of net profits to cocoa farmers—none of that was coming through at the main consumer touchpoint.

Jean Thompson: It’s something I had thought about even when I joined the company 22 years ago. I wondered, why name it after a city? It limits your expansion. But at the time, the company was already ten years old, and I thought it was too late to change. Plus, I didn’t have the staff, money, or clarity on what the new name would even be. So I stayed the course. But over time, we saw in the data that we just couldn’t grow as quickly outside of our region. In markets like New York or Chicago, buyers loved the product, but consumers didn’t grab it off the shelves because it said Seattle. It was a local brand, and outside of the region, that worked against us.

Experience Tukwila: So where did the name Maeve come from? What does it mean to you?

Jean: For years, whenever something good happened that I didn’t expect, I would say, “It was the chocolate goddess. She looks out for me all the time.” I told that to the New York agency that we partnered with and they came back with a bunch of names of goddesses, and Maeve was one of them. And as we were doing further research on who she was, we learned Maeve was a first century Irish warrior queen, and she believed that women were equal. She believed women should go to war, own land, and fight for what they believe in. And we were like, that’s her—that’s our mascot. Then I come to find out that she’s from Galway, Ireland, where my grandparents grew up.

Ellie: I also learned recently that Galway is a sister city to Seattle. There is a plaque that’s a shout out to Seattle there, and we have one too here in Seattle for Galway.

Jean: Is that right?! Wow… That’s so cool! It’s just meant to be.

Experience Tukwila: Do you depict Maeve on your packaging? How does she tie in?

Ellie: No, and that’s on purpose. Maeve is this omnipresent figure—she’s always there, watching over you, offering joy, but she’s not someone you see, outside of social media and the website. Instead, we’ve created characters that live in her world—like Greg Glitter, the astronaut, or Gretchen the Bear. We designed this whimsical fantasy universe, and she’s the guardian of it all. Maeve is your companion through whatever you’re feeling—whether it’s a celebration or a bad day. She’s there to hold your hand through it.

Jean: The packaging, the characters, the flavors—it all leads with fun. Chocolate should be fun first, then meaningful. That’s the model we believe in. Our mission is to ensure a future for cocoa. That means tackling climate change, paying farmers fairly, and building sustainable practices. But we realized we didn’t have to lead with all that seriousness. Maeve lets us lead with fun and joy—because that’s why people buy chocolate—and then they discover all the good we’re doing after the first bite. That makes them feel good and keeps them coming back.

Ellie: It’s about not having to compromise. You can have it all—fun, flavor, ethics, and sustainability. That’s the future of chocolate.

Experience Tukwila: What has the response been like to the rebrand? 

Jean: I probably went on 25 different sales calls all over the country and all over Zoom, telling the story, to 100% acceptance and excitement—which we did not expect. Consumers had more mixed reactions. People don’t like change, and they weren’t consulted. It’s been three decades of it being this way—and they loved it. So of course, some people were upset. But I actually took that as a compliment, that they cared that much. What we found was, once we told people the story behind Maeve, they came along. Somebody wrote and said, “This is a horrible idea. I used to buy from you all the time, and you were my favorite chocolate, and I’m never buying again.” Then he went into the store the next day, talked to the team, and left loving it. He even left a note saying, “Okay, I changed my mind. I understand now.” So it just takes time.

Experience Tukwila: What’s new at your factory store in Tukwila?

Jean: We’ve made it more immersive. We’ve created character corners where you can take selfies with our story characters. We have these moon rock-like bean bags that kids can sit in and take selfies with Greg Glitter and we have a corner with Gretchen, the bear, with a little bench that you can sit in front of and pose with her. We’re also building a three-dimensional ship installation that people can stand on, with a kraken underneath it. It’s representative of our San Juan Salted Toffee bar. We want it to feel like stepping into Maeve’s world. For Halloween this year, we’re doing a haunted Escape Room, which will be super fun. We’re still going to do a lot of events—maybe even more events than we previously did—but we’re slightly tweaking our approach to events to kind of cater to this new audience. 

Experience Tukwila: Who is the Maeve audience?

Ellie: Gen Z and millennial women, primarily. To get more into the demographics, they usually love food, they care about the planet. They’re probably more liberal leaning. They love the arts and fashion. But really, anyone can be a “Maven.”

Jean: My 87-year-old mother calls it “candy” and still loves it. So it’s not just the hip young people—it really does appeal to all ages. People love art, they love color, they love storytelling. It doesn’t exclude men, either. We’re just clear on where our center circle is.

Experience Tukwila: What’s next for Maeve?

Jean: We’re building out the fantasy universe more—new characters, seasonal flavors, an advent calendar, and possibly a children’s book. And the Valentine’s Day line that we’re going to launch next year might be the best thing I’ve ever seen.

Ellie: I’m so excited about that one too. That seasonal line is probably what I’m most proud of and most excited for.

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Maeve’s heavenly treats can be found at grocery stores, gift shops, and the airport. Chocolate fans ages six and up are invited to take a tour of Maeve’s chocolate factory. In an hour-long guided experience, visitors will learn the process from cocoa bean to chocolate bar, how the chocolate is sourced, and get to taste a LOT of chocolate!

Maeve’s flagship store and chocolate factory is located at 1180 Andover Park West, Tukwila, WA, 98188

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 10am – 6pm
Saturday: 10am – 5pm
Closed Sunday

Contact:
Website: maevechocolate.com
Instagram: @maevechocolate
Email: tours@seattlechocolate.com
Phone: (425) 264-2705