Bad news for big-time chocolate lovers, as Mast Brothers will soon shutter their massive Arts District warehouse location. The 6,000 square foot Sante Fe address is closing as part of a coordinated effort by the company to reconsolidate around their Brooklyn headquarters, reports Forbes.
The decision to pull the plug on Mast Brothers LA comes less than a year after opening, and amidst a protracted conversation about the company’s early faults. Despite always marketing themselves as truly “bean to bar” manufacturers, a Dallas blogger claimed (with evidence) that the company actually used bulk premade chocolate early on, while passing those bars off as something else entirely.
It’s hard to not see a connection to the gigantic online hit the company took and their decision to leave the Los Angeles market behind, but there are likely other forces as play as well. 6,000 square feet is a massive number for anywhere in Los Angeles, let alone the pricey Arts District, where foot traffic is still sparse and parking can get tight in the evenings. Still, as LA Magazine points out, the place was rather unique in its neo-Nordic aesthetic and trimmed down, luxe approach to chocolate bars in Los Angeles. Thankfully, the company isn’t leaving LA behind as a wholesale market, just as a place for their retail stores.