On behalf of our team of chocolate makers and chocolatiers, we want to thank you for your business. We started KYYA almost 11 years ago, and what a crazy journey. After 10 years at Microsoft and 6 years at Dell Computer, I left tech sales and use my engineering degree to start/run/fix this thing we originally called Forgotten Chocolate. KYYA is a phonetical pronunciation of kaia, since the greek spelling had been taken. The name means "simple" or "pure". We chose Elm Springs, Arkansas because it was a small town on a back road (Hwy 112) near our home and over the course of our life, cool places are normally "found" on a back road. I love our team. They work...
We love Bonbons, with the delightful flavors created with our own bean to bar chocolate. These small, enticing treats have a way of capturing our attention with their delicate appearances and rich flavors. With a hard outer shell that yields to a burst of delectable goodness within, bonbons provide a delightful surprise with every taste. Whether it's the tangy burst of fruit, the creamy satisfaction of caramel, strong coffee flavor or the satisfying crunch of a nut, bonbons offer a symphony of flavors to please the palate. Whether enjoyed as a personal indulgence or shared as a gift, these never fail to bring joy and a moment of blissful indulgence as a celebration or fixing a less than stellar day. Bonbons...
With the passing of Cindy, my wife and business partner, we have been doing a lot of reflection. Priorities seem silly when your best friend of 30 years passes. But I know Cindy wanted us to continue. 2021 will bring about change, the first one is simplification. Effective today, 27-January, we are closing our Bentonville store. We have been in Bentonville for 2-1/2 years. Yet Covid has taken a toll on retail. This will not impact KYYA employees. We will continue to manufacturer 4.5 metric tons of chocolate each month in Elm Springs and excited about our new coffee shop/bakery inside the Tontitown Once Upon a Time Books that leverages our award winning chocolate. We are excited to announce that the Bentonville...
As a team, we are thankful 2020 is over. While covid-19 impacted heavy on our retail operations, our syrup business actually grew. We are very thankful for the new retailers and customers that have purchased from us. Our biggest impact in 2020 was the loss of my wife, Cindy, to colon cancer on October 27 after a 2 year fight. Cindy was a mom, sister, wife and business partner. Cindy and I were married almost 30 years. Cindy was a strong, quiet, behind the scenes person. We miss her very much. Her passing came along in the busiest time of the year and without our KYYA team, I don't know how we would have made it. We are getting ready...
First off - thanks. We are overwhelmed with what has happened over the past 90 days. Let's see, over 3,000 school kids have toured the factory, eaten chocolate and gotten a glimpse into a small team making some of the best chocolate around. We've created 45 new chocolates this year, added 50 new retailers and exhibited over 250 events. Prior to Kyya, we spent 25 years in manufacturing, sales, engineering and operations (XBOX), which has given us a unique perspective to create a truly innovative factory (with 7 chocolate conches aka chocolate making machines with 2 more on order). We built our own cacao roaster because we had built custom ovens at Baxter Healthcare early in our career and wanted to bring our process expertise to chocolate. ...
